Manchester Arena victim who could have been saved was ‘badly let down’, family say
The family of a care worker who could have been saved following the Manchester Arena bombing has refused to accept an apology from the senior paramedic on the night of the attack.
The family of John Atkinson, 28, from Bury, Greater Manchester, said “mistake after mistake was made, and precious time was allowed to ebb away” and they wanted to “see what actions are taken to ensure this never happens again”.
His mother, Daryl, step-father Kevan, and sisters, Stacey and Laura, who were at the hearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court, said Mr Atkinson was “badly let down”.
In a statement read by their lawyer Richard Scorer, they added: “We have so many questions that we hope the inquiry can help to answer. We lost our beloved John to an appalling atrocity while on a night out, an atrocity which could and should have been prevented by proper security.
“To compound this, John was badly let down by some from the emergency services. Mistake after mistake was made, and precious time was allowed to ebb away whilst John needed urgent hospital treatment.
“This should never have been allowed to happen. John had so much to give.”
The inquiry heard that a parent called Ronald Blake, who was at the arena with his wife to pick up their daughter, used his wife’s belt as a makeshift tourniquet and stayed with Mr Atkinson for nearly an hour.
Mr Atkinson was left in the City Room foyer where the bomb went off for 47 minutes before police helped Mr Blake carry him out on an advertising hoarding because paramedics had not arrived.
The family praised the actions of Ronald Blake. Pic: Gardham/Manchester Arena Inquiry
The police officers got stuck at the top of a set of stairs but a senior paramedic suggested they “blanket him up and leave him”.
Instead, the police officers found a crowd control barrier to carry him down on but when they got him to the Victoria Station concourse, which had been set up as a casualty clearing station, he was left there for 23 minutes.
He was still talking and begging “please don’t let me die” until suffering a heart attack as he was wheeled to an ambulance, an hour and 16 minutes after the blast.
Experts have said Mr Atkinson could have been saved with quicker medical help and on the third day of hearings into his treatment, Phillip Keogh, a senior paramedic, said there were not enough paramedics and that patients were left on the ground waiting for help.
Salman Abedi walks past two PCSOs on the night of the attack
Last week consultant paramedic Dan Smith, who ran the operation for the North West Ambulance Service, said he was “truly sorry if any decision I made impacted on his survivability” but added: “My view was that the system worked fairly well in terms of the movement of patients.”
But Mr Atkinson’s family said: “We cannot accept this apology. Actions speak louder than words, and we wait to see what actions are taken to ensure this never happens again.”
The family added: “We would like to thank those who tried to help John in his time of need.
“Ronald Blake in particular is a hero. Hearing about the kindness of strangers on the night has offered us a small glimmer of hope in our darkest moments.”
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‘There’s no justice’ – father of 8-year-old victim
Mr Atkinson worked as a carer throughout his career, including helping adults with autism, and looked forward to being a foster father with his partner, Michael, his family said.
“John was our son, brother, uncle, and friend. He was kind, intelligent, and would light up any room he walked into. Everyone who knew him loved being around him.”
The inquiry continues with expert evidence on Tuesday.
The Queen is unwell with a chest infection and has withdrawn from her engagements this week, Buckingham Palace has announced.
A palace spokesperson said Camilla’s doctors “have advised a short period of rest” and added that “with great regret, Her Majesty has therefore had to withdraw from her engagements for this week”.
They added the Queen “very much hopes to be recovered in time to attend this weekend’s Remembrance events as normal”.
“She apologises to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result,” they said.
It is understood the Queen is currently resting at home and is under doctor’s supervision.
Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester, has stepped in on Camilla’s behalf to attend the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday.
The Queen has also withdrawn from a Buckingham Palace reception for Olympic and Paralympic athletes hosted by the King on the same evening.
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Camilla recently returned from an overseas tour of Australia and Samoa. No further details regarding her illness or treatment have been released.
A safety system was “blocked” during a fatal train crash in Powys, an initial investigation has found.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has published its initial findings into last month’s collision, in which one person died.
David Tudor Evans, 66, was described as a “lovely guy, full of life and enjoyment”.
A further 15 people were taken to hospital for treatment after the crash near Talerddig, police said.
The collision – at around 7.26pm on 21 October – involved the 6.31pm Transport for Wales service from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and the 7.09pm Transport for Wales service from Machynlleth to Shrewsbury.
The RAIB said the units were fitted with wheel slide protection systems – described as being similar to anti-lock braking systems in cars – and an automatic sanding system.
Sand is discharged automatically via hoses when a wheel slide is detected during braking – creating more friction at the wheel-rail interface.
A map showing the location of the crash near Llanbrynmair and Talerddig in Powys
The on-train data recorder shows the wheel slide started during braking and was also present after the driver made an emergency brake demand.
An inspection of the sanding system fitted to Aberystwyth-bound train 1J25 showed the leading vehicle’s sanding hoses were blocked.
The RAIB says they were apparently unable to discharge sand.
The ongoing investigation is also looking at the speed at which the trains were travelling when they collided.
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Initial enquiries suggest the westbound train was travelling at a speed of between 15mph and 24mph, while the eastbound train was travelling at a speed of 6mph.
The RAIB says its investigation will look at the sequence of events which led to the crash.
As part of the probe, the agency will look at factors including the actions of those involved, the level of wheel-rail adhesion, and the behaviour of both trains during and after the crash.
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In a joint statement, Transport for Wales and Network Rail said they have “fully cooperated” with the British Transport Police, the Office of Rail and Road and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
“As investigations are currently still ongoing, we’ll continue to work together with investigators to understand what happened and await the full conclusion and recommendations of the investigation,” a spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said safety was the “main priority” for both companies and they had “carried out enhanced checks to the trains and the railway line”.
“At this early stage of the investigation, it’s fundamental that we await the findings of the full report and show sensitivity towards our customers, colleagues, the local community and the families of those affected by the incident,” they added.
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