‘I’m not a hero. I did what I could to help’

A FORMER fireman who gave first aid to victims of the bombings said yesterday he was “not a hero”.

Paul Dadge, 28, was photographed helping a woman whose face was covered by a surgical mask to protect her burns.

The picture appeared in a number of newspapers yesterday, including the front page of the Irish Examiner.

The shocking image sparked a widespread media search for the woman, who was believed to be still receiving treatment yesterday,

Mr Dadge, now an IT worker for AOL, said he had been on an underground train which was stopped and had come across injured passengers near a Marks & Spencer store in the Edgware Road area.

He said he had employed the first aid skills he learned as a fireman to try to help.

Mr Dadge, who spent a year in the Berkshire Fire Service based at Wokingham, said the injured were moved into a hotel and he provided basic first aid for about half a dozen people.

“The woman I was photographed helping was called Davinia. I believe she was 28. But she was one of a number of people I tried to help,” he said.

“I was on a train from King’s Cross going to Hammersmith, where I’m working at the moment.

“We got stopped at Baker Street. I came across injured passengers after we’d left the station and got on to the Edgware Road.

“I was probably with Davinia for about five minutes. Staff from a nearby Marks & Spencer helped and we took the injured into a hotel.

“I just basically tried to carry out basic triage to assess their injuries.

“I was trained in first aid when I was in the fire service but to be honest I think it was instinct more than training that took over.

“I always seem to be in the wrong place at the right time. I have come across accidents before now and helped out.

“It was quite surreal in a way because in the Metropole Hotel there were people having business meetings who didn’t know what had happened.

“And we just said: ‘You have got to clear out so we can treat these people.’

“I am not a hero, not at all. I just happened to be on the spot and I did what I could to help.

“I was photographed with Davinia but I probably spent as much time helping several other people.

“Davinia had serious burns to her face and her tights had also been badly burned.

“She was really brave but I think she would have been OK. I certainly hope she is.

“I believe she was taken to St Mary’s Hospital and I’d love to get in touch with her and find out how she is.

“I didn’t really have time to chat to her. I just filled out a basic triage form about her details. She told me she had a boyfriend. And I applied some dressings to her burns before she was taken off to hospital.

“I was probably only with her for about five minutes.

“I had been in the fire service for about a year but I’ve never seen anything quite as bad as yesterday.

“I’m getting a train back to Cannock (his home town in Staffordshire) today but I’m planning to be back at work as normal on Monday and will be travelling on the Tube again.”