London Bridge attack: Civil servant recounts fighting terrorist with narwhal tusk
A government worker who used a narwhal tusk to fight off the terrorist on London Bridge last month has spoken about the incident for the first time.
Darryn Frost, who appeared in footage of the fight between the knifeman and members of the public on 29 November, has recounted how he was at an event in a nearby building before hearing a disturbance downstairs.
The 38-year-old told PA how he and others had grappled with the attacker despite wearing what looked like an explosive suicide vest.
“He had knives in both hands and, upon seeing me with the narwhal tusk, pointed at his midriff, he turned and spoke to me, then indicated he had an explosive device around his waist,” Frost told PA.
“At this point, the man next to me threw his chair at the attacker, who then started running towards him with knives raised above his head.”
Frost, who moved to England from South Africa 14 years ago, says he had grabbed the tusk from a wall, while another had used a wooden chair to fend off Unman Khan, a convicted terrorist who, it transpired, had been released early from prison.
Frost passed the tusk to the man who had thrown the chair before running back upstairs to get another one.
“Along with others, I pursued the attacker, tusk in hand, on to the bridge,” he said.
“We called out to warn the public of the danger and, after a struggle, managed to restrain him to the ground. At that point I was trying to isolate the blades by holding his wrists so that he could not hurt anyone or set off the device.”
Police shot Khan dead moments later before the vest was found to have been fake.
Two people died from stab wounds, Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, who were graduates involved in a programme on prisoner rehabilitation.
Frost offered his “sincere condolences” to the victims’ families and friends, adding: “In reading about their lives and work I am convinced they represent all that is good in the world, and I will always feel the deep hurt of not being able to save them.”
He also said he was “eternally thankful” to those who helped take the attacker down.
“Not only do I want to thank those who confronted the attacker, but also those who put themselves in danger to tend to the injured, relying on us to protect them while they cared for others.
“To the emergency services: you did yourselves and the country proud. I thank you too.
Read more: Boris Johnson backs review of 74 people released early from terror convictions
“To the public: I hope that the part I played in these terrible events can be used for good.”
Frost said he had launched a project, Extinguish Hate, and he asked people to donate to the victims’ fundraising pages: saskia-jones.muchloved.com and the “Celebration of the life of Jack Merritt” on GoFundMe.com.
He also noted that he had omitted “many details” of the incident “out of respect for the victims and their families” and due to the ongoing investigations.