A Spanish citizen, 39-year-old Ignacio Echeverría, who worked for HSBC as a lawyer in London, was last seen fighting off attackers with his skateboard on Saturday during the London Terror Attack. His body has finally been identified by British authorities on Wednesday. Spain’s Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis has gone on to criticize British authorities for taking so long to identify the missing man’s body.

Skateboarder goes to the aid of a woman in the London attack

As reported by the Spanish-language news service, El Pais, Echeverría had been skateboarding with his friends and was on his way home on Saturday evening when he encountered the terror attack, which was ongoing in the Borough Market area of London.

When Echeverría saw the attackers stabbing a defenseless woman, he instantly ran to her aid, attempting to beat off the attackers with his skateboard. He was killed in his attempt at saving the woman. However, his family only learned the truth on Wednesday, almost five days later.

One man with a skateboard against three or four attackers

Echeverría’s friend Guillermo was walking with him through Borough Market at the time and he told the Spanish media that it looked like a fight was ongoing ahead of them.

They believed it to be an angry man beating up a girl. He said Echeverría instantly went to the woman’s aid, trying to protect her and hitting out at her attackers. However, he said a skateboard against three or four men with knives is likely to get a person killed. Guillermo went on to say his friend had to have had a lot of courage.

In the chaos surrounding the attacks, that was the last time his friend saw Echeverría and his family has been waiting in anguish ever since, even though they knew that he had probably lost his life in the attack.

Spanish foreign minister criticizes the U.K. government

Dastis criticized the U.K. government for not quickly identifying a Spanish citizen who had most likely been killed in the London attack.

At the time, he told British authorities to do “everything humanly possible” to let Echeverría’s family know his fate and give them some form of closure. Echeverría’s family was going through anguish and pain, waiting for news of their relative and hearing nothing from London.

Echeverría’s family tweeted a message to 10 Downing Street Monday, asking British Prime Minister Theresa May to assist in speeding up the process. Echeverría’s brother-in-law, Fernando Vergara, said families of the victims of the London Bridge attack were feeling mistreated, as the lack of information about their loved ones caused “unnecessary agony.” After 73 hours, the Echeverría family still had no news of his fate.

London Metropolitan Police reportedly needed fingerprint confirmation before they could confirm the identities of the victims of the terror attack.

However, Isabel Echeverría, the victim’s sister, told Spanish media she believes the U.K. government was holding back information due to the upcoming elections. Echeverría’s employer, HSBC, even went so far as to hire a private detective to aid in finding the young lawyer.

Confirmation of identification came through from London

A reported by RTN Online, news has finally been received by the family on Wednesday that Echeverría did, indeed, die in the attack. Spain’s government paid tribute to Echeverría for his bravery in attempting to fight off the attackers with his skateboard, saying he was among the victims killed in the cruel attacks in London on Saturday. The government statement went on to say that Spain is with Echeverría’s family and friends in this terrible moment.

Australians killed in London terror attack

Blasting News reported on Tuesday that two Australian women were still missing following the terror attack in London. Sara Zelenak, 21, an au pair and Kirsty Boden, 28, a nurse, hadn’t been heard from by their families at the time of that report.

ABC Online has since reported that Boden was confirmed on Tuesday night to be among the victims of the attack, while Zelenak was also later confirmed to have died. Two other Australians were stabbed in the attack but are recovering.

Eight dead and 48 injured in London terror attack

In total eight people died and 48 were injured in the attacks. While originally the number of victims was seven, a further body was taken from the River Thames which has been identified as a French citizen, Xavier Thomas, who is reportedly one of three French victims of the terror attack. According to The Guardian, French President Emmanuel Macron said the other two French citizens are yet to be named.

All three attackers were shot dead by London police, two of which were later identified as Rachid Redouane and Khuram Shazad Butt – both residents of Barking in East London.

London Police made 12 arrests in the days following the attacks. Those 12 people were eventually released, but according to the ABC report, a 30-year-old man was arrested in East London on Wednesday morning on suspicion of preparation, instigation or commission of terrorist acts. The unnamed suspect is in custody.
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