A survivor of the Berkshire train crash wept as she spoke of her lucky escape. Passenger Sharmin Bacchus, 37, was kept alive by a mystery marine known only as Tom after a section of the train crushed her. She said she had only found out the extent of the disaster later. Ms Bacchus said: "I didn't think anyone had died. I couldn't believe it. I just realised how lucky I was." She said she did not think the full impact of the tragedy had sunk in yet but added: "I'd be happy if I just didn't ever have to think about it again."
She suffered cracked ribs, a cracked pelvis and bruising after she was flung across the carriage and pinned to the ground by a piece of the train which covered the area from her chest to her thighs. Describing what happened, she said: "I was just putting my book away and I was standing in the bar area in the buffet and the train appeared to move sideways and I was flung quite far back and bashed my head." She said she was lying face down and could not move or say anything and does not remember much more until Tom came along. She said that the marine, to whom she has since spoken again on the telephone, saved her life. She said: "He was asking my name and talking to me. I felt as if he had known me for ages because he talked to me quite nicely when I needed and when I was going, he was shouting at me. He kept squeezing my hand and making me squeeze his. He kept me alive." |