Westminster Bridge terror victim Andreea Cristea had to be 'hooked from Thames'
CCTV shows Andreea Cristea being secured with a boat hook after she was struck and thrown into the River Thames on 22 March 2017.
Wednesday 12 September 2018 17:07, UK
A Romanian tourist had to be hooked from the River Thames after she was hit by the car driven by the Westminster Bridge terror attacker, an inquest has heard.
Andreea Cristea was sent flying off the bridge when she was struck by the SUV driven by Khalid Masood on 22 March 2017.
The 31-year-old, who was on holiday in London, had taken a photo of the London Eye moments before she was killed.
She had to be hooked from the water by a staff member on board a clipper boat.
The inquest was played a 999 call from witness Michael Brown, who told emergency services "there's a woman in the water drowning".
CCTV footage played at the court showed Ms Cristea being secured by a boat hook. She was later pulled out of the water by fire crew.
On the third day of the inquest, the Old Bailey also heard how a mother-of-two was dragged under a bus after being run down by the car driven by Masood.
Ayesha Frade was texting her husband as she crossed the bridge to collect her children from school when she was struck.
The impact sent her into the path of a bus, where she was caught under the wheels and dragged along.
The inquest heard she was entirely focused on her phone, and was "unaware" of Masood's car in the moments before she was killed.
A pathologist said her death was "instantaneous and would have been without suffering".
As the mother-of-two lay in the road, Rob English, who had been on the bus, picked up a call from her husband John and told him to come to the bridge a quickly as possible.
PC Kirsty Barmborough stayed with Mrs Frade for several hours, even though medics had said her injuries were "absolutely incompatible with life".
The court heard how doctors and medics from St Thomas' Hospital rushed out to help after seeing the carnage unfold from the windows of the hospital.
Colleen Anderson, a newly qualified doctor, had tended to Ms Frade.
She said she had decided to go out and do something after a colleague ran past her because he had seen what was going on and wanted to alert A&E.
Recalling the moment where she came across Ms Frade, she said: "I saw what looked like a body covered in a blanket at the rear wheel of the bus.
"I looked to see if there was any sign of life. I felt for a pulse on the wrist. There was not really more I could do.
"I felt her chest for movement, felt her pulse. I remember thinking it was so very abrupt."
Masood killed four pedestrians and injured dozens more when he drove a rented SUV into crowds on Westminster Bridge on 22 March 2017.
He also stabbed PC Keith Palmer to death, before he was shot by a plain-clothed police officer. Masood died in hospital.