MORE DETAILS EMERGE OF 'BOLLARD MAN' HERO WHO FACED DOWN CRAZED SYDNEY MALL KILLER
The French national who threw a bollard at the Sydney stabber is a ‘low-key’ carpenter who does what he can to help people, those who know him say.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised Damien Guerot, dubbed ‘Bollard Man’, the right to remain in after a video of him confronting the attacker went viral.
Guerot, 31, could be seen holding a bollard on the escalator to prevent Sydney stabber Joel Cauchi from reaching a children’s play area in Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre.
His father, it was safe to say, was pretty proud. Loic Gureot told France Bleu Mayenne: ‘I had a lot of trouble sleeping, it’s impressive, I can’t find the words, I’m extremely proud.’
Loic said Damien was a carpenter living in Laval, a town about 185 miles west-southwest of Paris in the Loire Valley, before moving to Australia six years ago.
He added to the MailOnline that his son ‘felt good’ after fending off Cauchi and went for a two-hour jog after.
‘And then off to work the next morning!’ Loic said, adding: ‘He’s always been a go-getter, that’s how he is.
‘He always thinks of others before himself!’
A childhood friend in Saint-Jean-sur-Mayenne said: ‘Damien is an incredible guy, and extremely low-key with it.
‘He knows he’s famous around the world now, but doesn’t want to show off. He’ll just get on with his ordinary life like he always does.’
In a press conference, Albanese was asked about Damien’s visa, to which he said: ‘I say this to Damien Guerot, who is dealing with his visa applications, that you are welcome here. You are welcome to stay for as long as you like.
‘This is someone who we would welcome becoming an Australian citizen, although that would of course be a loss for France.
‘We thank him for his extraordinary bravery. It says a lot about the nature of humanity.
‘I think that on Saturday we saw some of the best of human character at the same time as we saw such devastating tragedy and I thank Damien for his extraordinary efforts.’
Mr Guerot recalled his heroic intervention, which unfolded as he was heading to the gym with a fellow Frenchman.
He said: ‘We saw him going down so we followed him from the top. We tried to maybe throw the bollard to him but we couldn’t.
‘We didn’t think. You cannot think in that moment. His eyes were like empty eyes… he wasn’t there.’
Cauchi killed six people before he was shot dead inside the Sydney shopping centre – one seriously injured victim was a nine-month-old baby, whose mother died trying to save her.
Emergency services were called to Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre at about 3.30pm on Saturday.
Hundreds of people were evacuated from the busy complex located less than two miles west of Bondi Beach.
Mr Albanese praised the emergency workers, doctors, nurses and ‘everyday Australians’ who helped the victims after the ‘horrific act of violence.’
The PM expressed his ‘deepest condolences and sympathies’ to the families of victims and anyone affected.
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2024-04-16T09:35:29Z dg43tfdfdgfd