CCTV footage shows Ahamad Samsudeen before his knife attack at LynnMall supermarket. Video / Supplied
A bus driver who has been celebrated for her actions during the LynnMall terror attack in 2021 spoke of the moment she helped save a woman “profusely bleeding” minutes after the attack.
Bus company Kinetic NZ shared the news that Sharon Colquhoun, one of its Auckland-based bus drivers for morethan 25 years, has been awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand.
Colquhoun opened up to the Herald today about the harrowing moments after the attack.
She had been sitting in her bus on a rest break in front of the LynnMall Countdown (now Woolworths) when she saw a severely injured victim approach her.
“I was looking at people running, and she just kind of just turned up out of nowhere,” she said.
Colquhoun said she drove the bus to the New Lynn Transport Centre to seek further medical assistance.
She said she gave the injured woman medical care and reassurance that everything was going to be okay while they waited for help from emergency services.
“I know to put pressure on it, which she really appreciated because when I put my hands on her, she put her hands on top of mine.
“And she says, ‘Oh, that’s lovely. Just stay there.’
“People have said if she had bled out any further, she probably would have been very close to it [death].”
Sharon Colquhoun was recently awarded a Humane Society Certificate of Merit for her actions during the LynnMall terror attack in 2021. Photo / Kinetic NZ
Colquhoun said the injured woman told her, “Oh, you got me help.” She replied, “Yes, I’ve got you help, don’t worry, they’re on their way.”
After the ambulance and police arrived, Colquhoun said the injured woman waved at her and said, “You did what you said you were going to do – you kept me safe.”
Four police officers and six members of the public received their certificates from Police Commissioner Richard Chambers at a ceremony this week. A further four were unable to attend.
On September 3, 2021, Ahamed Samsudeen entered a Countdown supermarket in LynnMall and began a knife attack, injuring several people, before being shot by police.
Police said the actions of those honoured with the certificates – including administering first aid, evacuating others and containing the situation – helped to save lives and prevent further harm.
An inquest into the attack began in May, with the first phase being partly driven by questions from survivors about the incident.
The second phase covers the four-month period in which Samsudeen was living in the community before the attack, and the third phase will look at his time in prison.
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