A brave survivor of the Bondi Junction Westfield stabbing has recalled the two chilling words the knife spoke after it plunged its sword into her ribs and narrowly missed her heart.
Liya Barko, 35, was shopping for a volleyball on April 13 when Joel Cauchi stabbed her with a 12-inch hunting knife during a rampage that claimed the lives of five women and a security guard at the busy center. Eastern Sydney shopping.
Ukraine-born Barko spent the next 10 days fighting for her life in intensive care and was released from hospital a week ago.
He recalled how the ordeal happened so quickly that he didn’t even see Cauchi’s knife.
“I think he just looked at me and decided at that moment and then I looked at my hands and I was bleeding,” she said. nine news.
After the horrific attack, Cauchi looked at Mr Barko and said: “I’ll get you,” before continuing his killing spree.
Liya Barko (pictured), 35, was shopping for a volleyball on Saturday, April 13, when Joel Cauchi stabbed her with a 30cm hunting knife in an attack that claimed the lives of six people.
A quick-thinking hero in a green T-shirt took Ms. Barko to a store where he closed the security gate and applied pressure to her wound, almost certainly saving her life.
“When you’re on the ground, you’re bleeding, you can see everyone’s expression and some of them were crying, they were scared… for their lives too,” she said as she fought back tears.
Barko is now on a mission to track down the man in the green shirt to personally thank him for saving his life.
“I would like to see him again, at least give him a hug because I don’t know how we would have managed without him at that time,” she said.
A burning question remains in your mind.
‘My question is how did it happen, why did a schizophrenic man be outside with a knife making a normal Saturday afternoon and just turn it into hell?’ she asked.
Barko, who moved to Sydney 18 months ago to study, spent ten days in intensive care, where his life hung by a thread.
She remembered waking up to a smiling doctor who filled her with hope.
“I was so happy, I’ve never seen anyone so happy,” Mrs. Barko said.
She added, “I thought okay, if I die right now, I’ll destroy his turn.” “So I can’t die now because he’s so happy.”
Barko revealed that after the horrific attack, Cauchi (pictured) looked at her and said: “I’ll get you,” before continuing his killing spree.
Mrs Barko, who worked part-time as a cleaner, was discharged from the hospital just a week ago.
“By some miracle, the knife narrowly missed his heart,” said Spencer Benjamin, who organized a GoFundMe page for her he wrote.
‘However, the incident resulted in a pierced stomach and liver, three broken ribs and severed arteries and veins.
“Surgeons fought not only to save his life but also to prevent lasting neurological damage, as his brain was deprived of oxygen during a critical period.”
Lone man Cauchi, 40, murdered six people and stabbed 12 more innocent shoppers during the terrifying rampage that shocked the world.
Their victims were Ash Good, 38, Dawn Singleton, 25, Jade Young, 47, Pikria Darchia, 55, Yixuan Cheng, 27, and security guard Faraz Tahir, 30.
Barko said she wanted to find the quick-thinking hero in a green T-shirt who took her to a store where he closed the security screen and applied pressure to her wound, almost certainly saving her life in the process.
