Bomb attack victim recalls picking bolts from his skin
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PAUL ENGLISH
Salman Abedi’s blast while waiting in the entrance area to collect 12-year-old daughter Amelia, and wife Ewa, 38, from the concert.
He added: “I remember people were using clothing from the Ariana Grande stall on people to try to stop the bleeding.”
The Pole, from the city of Gostycyn, has lived in Scotland for 11 years. He lost his left eye in the attack, and has had muscle on his leg removed after being damaged by shrapnel.
Mr Chylewska also has a 20-inch scar on his torso following emergency surgery to remove metal shards from his abdomen. A fundraising event was held at his local pub, Fairways in Rutherglen, at the weekend.
He said: “The support I have had has been such a surprise. The care I received in hospital in Manchester and in Glasgow was excellent.”
But the psychological impact of the blast has also left its mark.
He said: “A few times I have been shopping, and I watch people more closely now. And if I hear bangs, noises, then I maybe get a fright.” As he was arranging to collect Amelia and her mother, Ewa, he was caught up in the horror of the attack.
Mr Chylewska miraculously survived the destructive force of the homemade bomb, packed with nuts, bolts and bits of metal.
He said: “I sent Ewa a message saying, ‘I’m here’, then started writing another one saying I was at the main entrance.
“Those were the last words before my phone smashed in my hand. Then I lost vision in my eye.
“When I put my hand up to it, I saw blood
Piotr Chylewski had to remove nuts and bolts from his skin after the explosion at the Manchester Arena. and then I heard ‘boom’. I remember it happening in that order, in fractions of seconds.
“When I saw the blood and heard the noise I realised right away what had happened. Immediately after that it went pure quiet.
“I was drifting, losing contact, but I came back. They had to cut my clothes off, and I was sitting outside against the wall in only my pants. I saw people lying on the floor. That was horrible.”