I was standing right in front...

Item Information

Title:
I was standing right in front...
Date:
April 2013
Format:
Documents
Genre:
texts (documents)
Location:
Northeastern University Library
Collection (local):
Our Marathon
Series:
"Your Story"
Subjects:
Boston Marathon Bombing, Boston, Mass., 2013
Places:
Massachusetts > Suffolk (county) > Boston
Link to Item:
http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20265562
Terms of Use:
Copyright Not Evaluated. The copyright and related rights status of this Item has not been evaluated. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/ Requests for permission to publish material should be addressed to Northeastern University Library's Digital Scholarship Group (dsg@neu.edu).
Contact host institution for more information.
Language:
English
Notes:
Item Text: I was standing right in front of Forum for 20 mins from 11:50 to 12:09. I then moved to the Atlantic Fish's right patio corner for the rest of the day. I think we all thought the first bomb at the finish line was a cannon. Kind you heard from time to time at a Boston event, from a boat or something. Then instantly you see all the smoke so I was then thinking "was that just a gas leak explosion". No one really moved at that time. Most people were in shock and since we were standing outside in the restaurant deck we couldn't see the damage as there was too much smoke. I would say we had to be at least 200 yards away from the first blast but I guess it seemed closer. What seemed like 25 seconds, later I later realized it was only 12, the second bomb went off right to the left of us. No mistake about it...if you were frozen on the first bomb the second one snapped everyone out of it. I think after Sept 11th we all knew what was going on this time. Everyone dropped anything they were holding and ran. I was thinking the bombs were coming down the line. The next one was going to be at our restaurant Atlantic Fish or that I would run right into the next one. I choose not to run. Really where the hell can you run on a small sidewalk already barricaded by a fence and 4 rows deep with people. I figured duck for cover and wait for the aftermath of the next explosion. I also was not going into the bar as many others did for shelter. I still thought all the explosions were coming from inside not on the sidewalks. Everything instantly reminded me of those Northern Ireland scenes we see all the time on the news. I got on my belly with another guy two other girls. I really can't remember now their faces. I felt the needed to get away from windows so right next to us there is a Crate & Barrel with large windows but a large brick center arch. I start yelling to the guy and girls ahead of me to "head towards the brick, head towards the brick". The guy repeated this to the girls. We crawled 5 yards or so while others fled inside; others jumping over up I'm sure to run down the street. The four of us huddled behind the brick waiting for the next explosion but it never came. After taking a breath I asked "are we doing the right thing". I do not remember if I received a reply. Then my brain switched over and it seemed calm. I told the guy "I live two blocks from here...I have to make it home". I kept on thinking my wife would want me to hurry home vs being curious to look around (what if there were more explosions to come). So I jumped up and ran down the block. For some reason I stopped and talked with a guy that was videotaping what looked like a running down in the street. As he videotaped he kept on saying, with glossy eyes, "that runner lost his legs". Looking back for the first time I could see several security guys surrounding a run in the middle of the road near Forum. When I looked back up the street away from the finish line I watched several runners lying on their chest with their hands over their heads. I could see several people jump the barricades running towards the Forum to assist any way they could. I guess they were like Welles Crowther a fallen teammate and friend from September 11th. It was very moving to see others run towards the 2nd blast. I said something to the guy I was talking to, gave him a hug and then focused again on my wife. I took the next block and out of Boylston Street. All happened so fast, that I was home getting calls from my wife and Father at 3:05. So I guess I was out in for 25min. I caught up with everyone who was with me at Atlantic Fish and took in a girl who needed to get off the street (I can't remember her name now). We all wanted to get to the TV for the news. God bless.
Notes (acquisition):
This story was collected by the Boston Globe in the days immediately following the Boston Marathon Bombing. GlobeLab collected these anonymous stories on the Boston.com website and donated them to the Our Marathon Archive. We are grateful for this contribution, which gives insight into how Bostonians and visitors to the city understood the bombing events in their immediate aftermath.