The man who grabbed a narwhal tusk and ran toward a terrorist near London Bridge was identified as Darryn Frost, a British civil servant.
Frost, 38, works in communications for Britain’s Justice Ministry. His identity had been kept under wraps after his effort to take down a terrorist with a 5-foot-long narwhal tusk made global headlines.
On Saturday, Frost came forward to Britain’s Press Association and explained that he acted instinctively after hearing the commotion caused by terrorist Usman Khan after he began stabbing people at a criminal rehabilitation conference.
Frost grabbed the rare tusk off the wall when he heard the screams and ran toward the terrorist, who donned knives and a suicide vest, to save the lives of those around him. Authorities revealed that Khan’s vest could not detonate, but that was not known to Frost at the time of his effort to stop the terrorist.
“When we heard the noise from the floor below, a few of us rushed to the scene,” Frost explained. “I took a narwhal tusk from the wall and used it to defend myself and others from the attacker. Another man was holding the attacker at bay with a wooden chair.”
He continued, “He turned and spoke to me, then indicated he had an explosive device around his waist. At this point, the man next to me threw his chair at the attacker, who then started running towards him with knives raised above his head.”
Frost and others, including a man with a fire extinguisher, wrestled Khan to the ground and held him until authorities arrived. Khan was shot and killed by authorities. Two Cambridge University graduates died in the attack.
Frost explained that he still feels regret because he was not able to save those who died, including 23-year-old Saskia Jones and 25-year-old Jack Merritt.
“In reading about their lives and work, I am convinced they represent all that is good in the world, and I will always feel the deep hurt of not being able to save them,” Frost said.
