Indian-origin Briton hailed as hero in Spain

London, August 20 

A 44-year-old Briton, believed to be of Indian origin, is being hailed as a hero after he risked his life to comfort a young victim of the terror attack in Spain in which a van ploughed into pedestrians, media reports said.

Harry Athwal, from Birmingham, had been holidaying in Spain last week when the attackers drove down Las Ramblas, Barcelona, at speed, killing 14 persons and injuring more than 100 others.

Without considering his own safety, Athwal ran from the first floor restaurant where he was dining to the pavement and cradled a young boy who had been struck by the van, The Mirror reported. He was seen comforting the boy, with a photo of them going viral.

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Athwal ran up to the boy as the terrorist’s van swerved mindlessly past, despite the bodies being thrown high in the air and cries from police to stay back for his own safety.

Later, Athwal said he cast aside all thoughts for his own safety at that moment because the boy suddenly became in his eyes, his own son. As such, he could not leave him alone to suffer, or to be mowed down again by the terrorists should they reverse callously.

“He was unconscious, his leg was bent the wrong way, there was blood coming out of his head. I was checking for a pulse and he didn’t have one,” Athwal said.

“I thought he had gone. I was stroking his hair and in floods of tears but I stayed with him...  I was not going to leave this child in the middle of the road,” he said.

The project manager, who lives with wife Harjinder and sons Diernn, aged 19, and Khye, 8, also told the daily of how he had not even planned to visit Barcelona. — PTI