Mum speaks out after ‘hero’ saves daughter from Huntingdon train attacker with brave act

A heroic older man has been praised after throwing himself in front of a knife-wielding attacker to save a young woman during Saturday’s shocking Huntington train attack.

The horrifying incident happened on the LNER train from Doncaster to London, when passengers suddenly realised what they thought was a Halloween prank was actually a knife attack.

Credit: Anita Maric / SWNS

Eyewitness Olly Foster told the BBC that the man, whose name hasn’t been released, blocked the attacker with his head to protect a girl from being stabbed, suffering deep gashes to his head and neck in the process.

“There was a girl, bless her, who was really in a bit of a state because the guy actually tried to stab her,” Foster said. “And one of the older guys, who’s an absolute hero, blocked it with his head. We’re giving him jackets to keep the pressure on the blood.”

The passenger saved was teenager Maisie Harrison, who was listening to music through her headphones when the attack began. Her mum, Dawn, later thanked the man who saved her in a Facebook post, writing: “Prayers for a full safe recovery to the hero of a bloke who jumped in front of my daughter and saved her life. I owe him everything.

“If he didn’t jump in front of Maisie it could be a different outcome! I have no words and I pray he makes a full recovery. Shows this world still has hero’s with all the trauma that we go through on a daily basis. Thank you to everyone for all the kind words of support at this awful horrific time.”

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Credit: Anita Maric / SWNS

Foster said other passengers desperately tried to help the injured man by using their clothes to stem the bleeding. At one point, passengers were reportedly ready to fight back using a bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey as their only defence.

“By the time I got to the end of the carriage… there was blood all over the chairs,” Foster said. “Someone was shouting, ‘run, run, there’s a guy stabbing literally everyone and everything’.”

The terrifying attack lasted around 10 to 15 minutes, though witnesses said it “felt like forever”.

British Transport Police declared a major incident when the train stopped at Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, after passengers pulled the emergency alarm. Two men were arrested just eight minutes after police were called at 7.42pm.

Police initially used the code word “Plato”, usually reserved for a suspected terror attack, but police later confirmed the incident is not being treated as terrorism-related. Another passenger described seeing someone “hanging out the train door bleeding” after the violent spree.

The heroic passenger who shielded the young woman remains unnamed, and Maisie’s mum has reached out to find him.

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