safest place
EYE WITNESS: ‘A girl of 13 was screaming ‘Help me!”
Briton Jen paul, 40, has lived in nice for 17 years and says the attack has devastated the community.
she says: “i moved to nice because it’s a safe, quiet seaside town and i thought it would be an ideal place to raise my son. it’s popular with expats and we’ve all come here for a peaceful lifestyle – now that’s been destroyed.
“people are scared to go out. Bastille day is similar to independence day in the states, it’s a huge celebration. But now it will be remembered for something horrific.”
Jen was out for dinner with her son hamish, 21, when the lorry struck.
she recalls: “We’d decided to have a nice meal then watch the fireworks. everyone was happy, having a few drinks and it was a beautiful evening.
“hamish went off to his job, working as an engineer on a yacht at a local port, and i started driving home.
“i saw police with machine guns and crowds of people running. i heard what sounded like gunshots, but thought it must be firecrackers going off as part of the celebrations.
“then i saw people were panic-stricken and clutching each other. i now know i was in the street parallel to where the lorry struck.
“a girl aged 13 was hysterical and screaming ‘help me!’ so i got her into my car. she’d been separated from her father and younger sister and was terrified. i managed to calm her down and got her to give me her father’s mobile number, then called him to let him know she was safe.
“they came to meet her an hour later and were thankfully unhurt. the father broke down in tears and was so relieved to be reunited with her.
“i got hold of hamish and thankfully he was safe. i told him to stay on the boat and he urged me to head home. i still had no idea what was going on, but everyone was saying it was a terrorist attack. people were staggering around the streets covered in blood looking dazed. it was horrendous.
“once i got home i put on the news and burst into tears. When i heard the death toll i was devastated. i never dreamed something so terrible would happen in a town where i’ve always felt so safe. i fear it’ll take us a long time to recover.”