![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/manchester-arena-attack-response-was-all-wrong-survivor-says/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/127485781_ronblake.jpg&description=Media caption, "It seemed to last forever" waiting for help to come for John Atkinson, bomb survivor Ron Blake, pictured, saysA man who fought to save a victim of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing has said "big mistakes" were made on the night of the blast.Ron Blake is telling his story for the first time since the attack - ahead of a major report into the bombing.He was praised for "heroic" efforts to save John Atkinson in the suicide attack, but he died from his injuries.Mr Atkinson, 28, was not seen by paramedics for 47 minutes, which Mr Blake said "seemed to last forever".The Manchester Arena Inquiry has heard the care worker from Radcliffe would have had "quite a high" survival chance had he been treated more quickly.Twenty-two people died in the bombing on 22 May 2017 at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.The second of three official reports will be published on Thursday. It will consider whether two of the victims, including Mr Atkinson, might have survived had the emergency services responded more quickly. Mr Blake told the BBC he believed "big mistakes were made that night" and those in charge had "got it all wrong". He called 999 less than a minute after the explosion and, despite being injured himself and having no first aid training, tended to Mr Atkinson after seeing he was losing a lot of blood.Mr Blake used his wife's belt as a tourniquet, having only ever seen it done on television, and held it on Mr Atkinson's leg for almost an hour.Image source, Family photographImage caption, Ron Blake said he believed John Atkinson, pictured, would survive the attackThe inquiry has already heard about a series of failings in the planning, preparation and response to the attack by emergency and security services including:The ambulance, fire and police services have all apologised but Mr Blake said that did not mean anything to him. He told the BBC of the anguish he felt waiting for help to arrive. "It just seemed to last forever. It seemed to go on and on and on){kind=link}
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“It seemed to last forever” waiting for help to come for John Atkinson, bomb survivor Ron Blake, pictured, says
A man who fought to save a victim of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing has said “big mistakes” were made on the night of the blast.
Ron Blake is telling his story for the first time since the attack – ahead of a major report into the bombing.
He was praised for “heroic” efforts to save John Atkinson in the suicide attack, but he died from his injuries.