Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers’ revisiting one of the most devastating terror acts on British soil in history, we get a documentary series unlike any other. That’s because it spans everything from the bombings on the capital’s transport network in 2005 to the aftermath of it all, to really shine a light upon the gravity of the entire tragic situation. Amongst those to thus feature in this Liza Williams-directed original was Louise Barry, who narrowly escaped a July 7 tube explosion, only to find herself on the bus that was later blown up.
Louise Barry Could Never Have Imagined The Tragedy That Transpired
Although a proud native of Australia, Louise Barry was residing in Westbourne Park, London, and working as a Marketing professional in Islington, London, when everything changed. The young woman was actually on her way to work on the fateful morning, preparing to board a train from Edgware Road Station, when another one that had just left the platform exploded. Thankfully, uninjured, she was able to quickly evacuate, so she texted her then-boyfriend as well as reportedly her brother that she thought a bomb had just gone off on the underground.
Louise was admitted a bit dazed and confused owing to the suddenness of the matter, but she still felt as if she had to make it to work, so she got on a number 30 bus to continue her journey. She headed straight to the back row just like she used to when in school before settling down in one of the few empty seats, only to soon feel her phone vibrating in the pockets of her trousers. Her boyfriend had texted her, “You were right, they were bombs. Lucky you weren’t involved.” Little did she know another would go off on the bus as soon as she’d slipped her phone back in.
This explosion happened in Tavistock Square (near Euston Station), immediately killing the suicide bomber as well as 13 others while leaving several more, including Louise, terribly injured. What ensued was chaos, and even though the Australian had a broken neck, along with injuries to her arm, leg, and he ad, she still managed to escape the debris in the hopes of saving herself. She was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital to be treated, where she soon made a full physical recovery – we specify physical because the trauma of this incident is something she still carries.
Louise Barry Later Testified in the Legal Inquest Into the Attack
Louise actually returned to her homeland not long after this horrific incident, so when she was asked if she would be willing to testify in the inquest a few years later, she agreed to do so online. During her evidentiary statements, she detailed how she was initially just a witness to the terrorist acts but later became a victim turned survivor owing to what occurred on the bus an hour later. She even went as far as to explain that she initially believed she was having a fit because the boom of the bomb sounded muffled as if “deeply underwater,” following which she heard voices.
“I heard these voices: ‘Everything’s fine. Tell her everything’s going to be OK,'” Louise said. “… (I thought) they were the people on the bus I had been talking to… I thought they were looking at me having a seizure.” However, that was not the case, and it was only when boiling water from the bus’ radiator fell on her arm that she came back to reality to notice debris everywhere. She actually believed the dripping liquid was petrol, so she instantly decided to crawl her way out in fear of a fire, unaware she’d have to go through many torn-apart bodies. She tried to scream, yet no voice came out, that is, until first responders found and rushed her to a nearby hospital for treatment as well as recovery.
Louise Barry Appears to be Leading a Fulfilling Life in Her Homeland
From what we can tell, although Louise keeps her personal life well away from the limelight due to privacy concerns, we do know she currently resides in Sydney, Australia, and is doing wonders in her career. She seemingly kickstarted her professional endeavors in 2000 after graduating from APM Training Institute with a Diploma in Marketing while also majoring in Arts and Entertainment in 1999. Her first job was as an Event Planner/Festival Director at Northern Rivers Herb Festival, where she remained for 3 years, during which she even attended the University of Technology, Sydney to learn about the sponsorships, financial management, and budgeting involved in Event Management.
Then, in 2003, Louise moved on to serve as a Fundraising Coordinator at Camp Quality before spreading her wings 8 months later to become the Marketing & Development Manager at Environmental Investigation Agency in London. She worked here for around 15 months, leaving in November 2005 to join CLV SmartStays as a Marketing Consultant and then enrolling at Nature Care College for a Diploma in Holistic Counselling. She earned this in 2009, following which she shifted gears to establish a small business by the name of Interactiveinc, the mission of which was to help aspiring digital/remote employees find jobs that fit their needs.
Louise proudly ran her business for over a decade, closing its door in September 2019 because she had decided to enroll at ACAP University College for a Bachelor’s degree in Counselling Psychology. As if that’s not enough, while continuing her studies, she was also working as a Senior Account Manager at Donor Republic – yet, she parted ways with both these organizations in October 2021. That’s when she joined the University of New South Wales as an Events & Communications Coordinator, only to be promoted to Project Manager at the University’s Australian Graduate School of Management in April 2023. Since then, Louise has also earned certifications in Advanced Leadership, Business Administration, and Executive Management, among others, from under the banner of the University of New South Wales, where she remains employed to this day.
Read More: Mustafa Kurtuldu: Where is the 7/7 Bombing Survivor Now?
