Warning: This story may be distressing for some readers
The father of 10-year-old Thalia Hakin, one of the five victims who were killed in last week’s horrific attack in Melbourne’s Bourke Street Mall, has been left heartbroken as he mourns the loss of his daughter, while “running between hospitals” to be by his wife and other daughter’s sides.
Thalia tragically died at the scene, while her mother Nathalie and nine-year-old sister Maggie were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
“He’s stoic, he’s strong. I’m assuming he’s probably in shock. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to put one foot in front of the other,” Rabbi Smukler, the principal of Beth Rivkah College where the children attend told News.com.au.
“He’s running between hospitals with everything that’s going on and to deal with it all. And he hasn’t even buried his daughter yet.”
“Natalie really needs our prayers payers for recovery — god willing she will.”
A witness has spoken out about the traumatic moment her tried to save Thalia at the scene of the tragic attack.
Speaking to Radio 3AW, Gary Oke says he was walking towards the RACV Club when he heard sirens and horns.
“I went to the kerb to investigate and have a look at what the commotion was all about when l heard this over accelerating car coming from behind me and when I turned around … it was right there Neil,” he told Mitchell.
“I just watched in horror it just came up to the laneway and the bodies just went everywhere, they just went flying up in the air. He didn’t break at all, he just kept going.”
Mr Oke says he then found Thalia lying face down but still breathing.
“I looked down the footpath and saw this object by the bicycles … and no one was with it. And I ran over there and I pulled her back … she was lying sort of face down and it exposed one of the most horrible things I’ve ever seen.
“She was still breathing so I tilted her head back and that’s when other people started coming around. And I can remember it was like she was shaking or she was convulsing, she was still breathing, she was still with us … God she would have been in a lot of pain. Then after a couple of minutes she stopped breathing.”
Mr Oke, along with two of the RACV Club staff members performed CPR, but it was too late.
“She was a beautiful looking girl just out for the day with her parents I still can’t believe it,” he said.
“I wanted to convey to the family that in some way that gives some type on comfort that she didn’t die alone that people were trying to save her.”