18 July 2005

Israeli doctor touted a hero on bombed London tube

By ISRAEL21c staff July 12, 2005

An Israeli surgeon - on vacation with his family in London - sprang to action following last week's terror attacks and helped save victims' lives.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Dr. Benny Meilik, an emergency surgeon and consultant at the Tel Aviv Medical Center, had arrived in London the day before the attack with his wife and two children. They were looking forward to relaxing and getting away from the pressures of Meilik's job.

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 told The Post.

"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.

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."

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."