Brothers at Finish Line Both Lost a Leg

Stories of Boston Marathon bombing victims, survivors
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 16, 2013 7:32 AM CDT
Brothers at Finish Line Both Lost a Leg
People react to an explosion at the 2013 Boston Marathon in Boston, Monday, April 15, 2013. Warning: Next image is graphic.   (AP Photo/The Boston Herald, Stuart Cahill)

Stories are pouring in of those who were near the finish line when the bombs went off at the Boston Marathon:

  • Liz Norden's two adult sons, whom she does not name, were standing at the finish line—apparently next to the 8-year-old boy who was killed—waiting for a friend to finish the race. Both men, ages 31 and 33, ended up losing a leg from the knee down in the blast, the Boston Globe reports. Their friend was a quarter-mile from the finish line and walked away unhurt, but the younger son's girlfriend suffered serious injuries and burns.

  • Bill Iffrig, 78, of Washington, was knocked to the ground when the first bomb went off (as can be seen in this widely-circulated video). "It was only ... feet away from me," he tells Washington state's Herald, adding that he saw what appeared to be a coffee can that looked like it was the bomb casing. But he only suffered a scraped knee, and he got back up and a race official helped him walk the last 12 feet to cross the finish line. Iffrig, an accomplished runner in his age group, finished second in his division. Shortly afterward, officials stopped the race completely.
  • Dr. Vivek Shah crossed the finish line, and shortly afterward the bombs went off—so he went into action, tending to victims. "I've never obviously been in combat, but people I've trained with have been and this is as close as I can imagine it would be," he tells ABC News. "Just, basically piles of victims. Everything I saw was a traumatic amputation, basically."
(More Boston stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X