London Terror Attack Survivor tells: 'My big news'

‘It was chaotic. All I could think was: “I don’t want to die,”’ Candice, 35, tells New Idea of the night armed terrorists caused mayhem 
on the streets of London.

Eight people died that fateful night on June 3 last 
year, and the Queensland native was one of the 48 injured in the attack. A year on, Candice credits her positive outlook and strong relationship for helping her through the darkest time 
in her life.

‘Life is so short,’ Candice 
says in an exclusive interview from London. ‘We need to stop thinking about our differences and focus on the future.'

The pair found 
work at Elliot’s Cafe, 
a restaurant situated 
just a stone’s throw 
from London Bridge.

‘We were both working on the night and it was actually a great evening until it happened. All of a sudden, people just started heaving into the restaurant,’ Candice recalls.

‘It was chaotic, no-one really knew what was going on, but before I knew it, I could see the terrorists out on the front.’

Luke had begun to usher customers into the basement kitchen but, from the other 
side of the restaurant, Candice didn’t think she would make 
it in time and, in that moment, 
she made a snap decision.

‘I could see Luke standing 
in the stairwell waiting for me, but I knew that if I ran over to him the attackers would see 
and I didn’t want to lead them 
to all those people downstairs,’ she explains.

Instead, Candice heroically stayed behind, crouching beside the front door as the attackers entered the restaurant.

‘They started yelling,’ Candice recalls the horror. 
‘And as one of them turned 
as if to leave, he saw 
me ducking down 
beside him.

Her throat was slashed 
in the brutal attack and, as 
the terrorists 
left the restaurant, Candice ran for 
her life.

Grabbing a napkin from a nearby table, she clutched her neck and fled downstairs to Luke. In huddled silence, the pair hid under the restaurant until the police arrived, petrified the attackers would return.

‘In the moment I was just trying to keep my eyes open. There was no other option. I was sat there scared for my 
life and vomiting up blood, but the only thing in my head was: “Please just stay awake.”’

Candice says she won’t allow what happened to define her. She’s determined to move on.

‘Thankfully, my injuries weren’t serious. He did graze 
my windpipe, but I just feel so lucky it wasn’t anything worse,’ she says.