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Israeli MD hero on bombed London tube
Daniel Carrier, Jerusalem Post
Dr. Benny Meilik.
Dr. Benny Meilik and his young family had finished their breakfast and were
getting ready to explore London. It was the first time they had visited the
city together and Bar, 17, and Rony, 12, couldn't wait to get out and see
the sights they heard so much
In his work as an emergency surgeon and consultant at the Tel Aviv Medical
Center, he has worked saving lives from terror attacks across Israel - and
he wanted some peaceful, reflective time with his wife Libby, away from the
trauma of treating victims of violence.
But on the first morning of his trip he found himself dragging victims free
from the wreckage of the 8:51 a.m. Piccadilly Line eastbound train and
working frantically to save their lives.
The family were staying in the Russell House Hotel, next door to the tube
station.
When the bomb went off in the deep underground tunnel, visitors at the hotel
felt the tremor and heard the rumbling bang that signalled London's
worst-ever terrorist attack.
Meilik did not waste time, and his speedy response saved lives.
"I have heard enough explosions to know what they sound like, and when I
heard the boom I sprung into action," he said later.
Leaving his wife and children at the hotel, which was evacuated moments
later by the police, he dashed outside to find out what had happened.
"People were pointing at the tube station and I so I went in." he said.
"There was carnage, smoke everywhere, and suddenly paramedics rushed in
after me."
It was the start of a tough morning for the doctor, who has treated over 100
victims of the conflict in Israel and is used to seeing the sorts of
injuries that greeted him on the platforms of Russell Square.
And, according to police, that was the most challenging site of the four
bombs. The tunnel was in danger of collapse and is one of the deepest on the
network, sitting 50 meters below ground.
Meilik told staff who he was and got down on to the platform, to which
passengers were being led.
The bomb had caught the tube train between King's Cross and Russell Square,
and rescuers had to get 500 meters along the track to help people. As
paramedics brought victims out on to the station platform, he set to work
stabilizing them, sifting those who could be helped and those who were
clearly beyond his expertise.
"The injuries were severe. I must have treated around 20 people. I was just
running from person to person, doing all I could. Many were not in good
shape at all," Meilik said.
"I have worked on many, many victims of bomb attacks, and I can say: this is
as bad as any I have seen. I have a lot of experience in treating blast
victims and this bomb was powerful."
He set about working out who needed urgent care there on the platform and
who could be moved to hospital. One victim, who had two broken arms, emerged
to tell reporters he had been helped by an "Israeli hero."
The man, who would not give his name, said: "There was pandemonium. But the
man who helped me was calm - and I can't thank him enough. He told me he was
on holiday and had come to see if he could help. If you see him, thank him."
It was also the start of a traumatic morning for Meilik's family. His wife
had watched him disappear into the heart of the explosion and was then told
to leave the hotel with her family without him. She did not know her husband
was safe and fighting to save lives.
"He just disappeared and then the police came and evacuated us. It was
terrible," Libby recounted, adding, "Benny works saving lives each day - we
did not expect him to have to use his skills when he was on holiday, but we
are thankful he could be of help."
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