By Paula Fentiman
The Press Association
LONDON — A paramedic who went to the aid of victims of the 7/7 bombings today apologised to the family of a young woman killed in the attack for not being more “useful’’.
Alan Treacy told the inquest for the 52 victims of the London bombings he decided to go into the tunnel after arriving at Aldgate Tube station, despite being aware that a secondary device had not yet been ruled out.
With colleagues already at the surface, he said: “I decided I would go down and do what I could downstairs.’'
Mr Treacy described seeing a woman now known to be Carrie Taylor, 24, from Billericay, Essex.
He told the inquest: “She was a young female. She was gravely ill and she was in an unusual position where she was more or less wrapped around a handrail that was, if I recall, bent over as well.
“She was lying across the laps of a couple of people and I think there might have been another female helping her or holding her.’'
He said there was no sign of life, with no pulse and that she made no sound.
Protocol in a major incident situation would usually dictate that once someone’s airway had been opened and there was no sign of life, they would be declared dead, the inquest heard.
But the paramedic said he decided to test her heart for activity using a defibrillator because she was “so young’’ — but there was no sign of activity.
Asked by Miss Taylor’s father John about possible resuscitation efforts, Mr Treacy said: "(In major incidents) our protocols are just to open the airway and if there is no sign of pulse or breathing after that, then we don’t normally continue.
“But because Carrie was so young I decided to go further and see if there was any possibility of a pulse, but unfortunately there was nothing.’'
He also told Mr Taylor that he moved Miss Taylor from the pole and laid her on the floor but said he could not recall seeing any injuries, adding: “I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful.’'
After Mr Taylor thanked Mr Treacy for what he did, the paramedic said: “I’m sorry I couldn’t be more useful.’'
Suicide bomber Shehzad Tanweer detonated his device on an eastbound Circle Line train at Aldgate at about 8.50am on July 7 2005, killing Miss Taylor and six others.
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