Manchester Arena bomb hero says response was all wrong

A antheral who fought to prevention a unfortunate of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing has said "big mistakes" were made connected the nighttime of the blast.

Ron Blake is telling his communicative for the archetypal clip since the onslaught - up of a large study into the bombing.

He was praised for "heroic" efforts to prevention John Atkinson successful the termination attack, but helium died from his injuries.

Mr Atkinson, 28, was not seen by paramedics for 47 minutes, which Mr Blake said "seemed to past forever".

The Manchester Arena Inquiry has heard the attraction idiosyncratic from Radcliffe would person had "quite a high" endurance accidental had helium been treated much quickly.

Twenty-two radical died successful the bombing connected 22 May 2017 astatine the extremity of an Ariana Grande concert.

The 2nd of 3 authoritative reports volition beryllium published connected Thursday. It volition see whether 2 of the victims, including Mr Atkinson, mightiness person survived had the exigency services responded much quickly.

Mr Blake told the BBC helium believed "big mistakes were made that night" and those successful complaint had "got it each wrong".

He called 999 little than a infinitesimal aft the detonation and, contempt being injured himself and having nary archetypal assistance training, tended to Mr Atkinson aft seeing helium was losing a batch of blood.

Mr Blake utilized his wife's loop arsenic a tourniquet, having lone ever seen it done connected television, and held it connected Mr Atkinson's limb for astir an hour.

The enquiry has already heard astir a bid of failings successful the planning, mentation and effect to the onslaught by exigency and information services including:

The ambulance, occurrence and constabulary services person each apologised but Mr Blake said that did not mean thing to him.

He told the BBC of the anguish helium felt waiting for assistance to arrive.

"It conscionable seemed to past forever. It seemed to spell connected and connected and connected and no-one was coming truthful I conscionable kept trying to speech to John.

"He kept saying 'I'm going to die, aren't I?' and I said 'no you are not.'"

Mr Atkinson was carried retired of the arena foyer connected a metallic obstruction arsenic a makeshift stretcher via the stairs to the casualty clearing presumption astatine the adjoining Manchester Victoria railway station.

Mr Blake said helium near him with a paramedic, and helium was "still talking" truthful helium thought helium would survive.

He spoke of his daze astatine uncovering retired Mr Atkinson had died erstwhile helium was being treated successful infirmary for his ain injuries the adjacent day.

"It was connected the quality successful the waiting room," helium said.

"I went outside... and conscionable broke down."

Mr Atkinson's household person antecedently praised Mr Blake's "heroic" efforts to prevention him.

He said: "I anticipation I did what I could.

"I did what anybody other would person done."

Abedi besides injured hundreds of radical erstwhile helium detonated his homemade instrumentality astatine the arena.

The nationalist enquiry into the onslaught ended successful March aft proceeding grounds from 267 witnesses since September 2020.

The archetypal of 3 reports, written by enquiry president Sir John Saunders, was published successful June 2021.

It highlighted a fig of failures, including missed opportunities to avert oregon minimise the "devastating impact" of the blast, and it levelled disapproval astatine British Transport Police (BTP), the arena operators SMG, and their contracted information providers, Showsec.

It besides noted however Salman Abedi should person been identified arsenic a menace by arena security.

The enquiry is owed to people its findings connected Thursday connected the exigency response.

The Glade of Light bears the names of those killed successful the attack.

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