By Ashley Young-
A skateboarder who died trying to help a woman who was stabbed during the London Bridge attack has been honoured with a posthumous bravery award.
Spanish national Ignacio Echeverría, 39, used his skateboard to try and and hit one of the terrorists who killed eight people on June 3rd last year. He tragically lost his life in the process and will forever be in our hearts for his act of bravery.
His parents were presented with the George Medal at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Thursday. Two police officers were also honoured with the same award for their actions. The London Bridge terrorist attacks shook London after Islamic extremists drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge before launching a knife attack in Borough Market last year. They killed eight people.
Mr Alonso said: “When terrorists attack someone they attack our entire way of life.
“They manipulate words and minds and try and convince us that they have acted in the name of a cause.
“So when Ignacio is recognized with an award, it represents the opposite of all of that.”
He expressed immense gratitude on receipt of the George Medal on his son’s behalf, stating that it demonstrated the UK’s appreciation of his actions as being “important”. Every heroic act on behalf of innocent people is extremely commendable, and priceless especially when selflessness is displayed at the expense of a person’s own life.
PC Charles Guenigault and PC Wayne Marques were also given the bravery award.PC Leon McLeod was awarded the Queen’s Gallantry Medal for running at the terrorists and then providing aid to victims following the attack. The award created in September 1940 under the reign of King George VI, initially to reward acts of civilian courage and bravery during the Blitz.
It has since been awarded more than 2,000 times, and some military personnel have received it for “gallant conduct that is not in the face of the enemy”. A medal was also given to PC Keith Palmer, who was fatally stabbed outside the Houses of Parliament in March 2017 during the Westminster terror attack.