I FELT COMPLETLY HELPLESS - WPC
I felt completely helpless'- WPC
A POLICEMAN resorted to blowing cool air on the burns of bomb victim Garry McGillion in a vain bid to ease the injured man's pain.
Reserve Constable Alexander Allerton told yesterday's inquest that people were so badly hurt that first aid equipment was rendered totally useless. And on the journey to hospital, he and others were forced to pour water from bottles on the burns victim's injuries.
Sergeant Wesley McCracken told the coroner's court of seeing a man who appeared dead lying on the ground with others stepping over him. He checked him and found him to be alive. Fr Kevin Mullan then blessed the injured man, while he went on to help others.
Constable Kenneth McFarland was approached by a distraught Kevin Skelton who asked him to help find his wife, Philomena. Following a search, the pair came across Mr Skelton's daughter who was buried under debris. The constable went on to describe seeing a man with the remains of a car tyre embedded in his back and shoulder.
Constable Louise Stewart was wearing a fire retardant suit in preparation for travelling to Kilkeel on public order duty. She was called to deal with the alert and found a woman lying on the footpath with her arm on fire. She used the sleeve of her uniform to beat out the flames.
She went on to describe horrific scenes of children lying dead in the street and people with parts of their bodies missing.
The officer also recalled the dreadful smell of burning flesh and blood which hung in the air afterwards. "I felt completely helpless," she added.
Later she accompanied bodies to the temporary morgue at Lisanelly Army Camp where the remains were laid out on matting and blankets. Each body was numbered and officers attempted to establish the physical identity of each victim. Jewellery and clothing on the bodies were noted and by the time she left at 10.30pm, a total of 26 bodies had been documented.
A POLICEMAN resorted to blowing cool air on the burns of bomb victim Garry McGillion in a vain bid to ease the injured man's pain.
Reserve Constable Alexander Allerton told yesterday's inquest that people were so badly hurt that first aid equipment was rendered totally useless. And on the journey to hospital, he and others were forced to pour water from bottles on the burns victim's injuries.
Sergeant Wesley McCracken told the coroner's court of seeing a man who appeared dead lying on the ground with others stepping over him. He checked him and found him to be alive. Fr Kevin Mullan then blessed the injured man, while he went on to help others.
Constable Kenneth McFarland was approached by a distraught Kevin Skelton who asked him to help find his wife, Philomena. Following a search, the pair came across Mr Skelton's daughter who was buried under debris. The constable went on to describe seeing a man with the remains of a car tyre embedded in his back and shoulder.
Constable Louise Stewart was wearing a fire retardant suit in preparation for travelling to Kilkeel on public order duty. She was called to deal with the alert and found a woman lying on the footpath with her arm on fire. She used the sleeve of her uniform to beat out the flames.
She went on to describe horrific scenes of children lying dead in the street and people with parts of their bodies missing.
The officer also recalled the dreadful smell of burning flesh and blood which hung in the air afterwards. "I felt completely helpless," she added.
Later she accompanied bodies to the temporary morgue at Lisanelly Army Camp where the remains were laid out on matting and blankets. Each body was numbered and officers attempted to establish the physical identity of each victim. Jewellery and clothing on the bodies were noted and by the time she left at 10.30pm, a total of 26 bodies had been documented.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1448
Published Date: 14-Sep-00
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