A woman who fell into the Thames during the Westminster terror attack has died from her injuries, police have said.
Andreea Cristea, 31, a tourist from Romania, died on Thursday after her life support was turned off by doctors. She had fallen from Westminster Bridge but was pulled from the water and taken to hospital.
In a statement released by police, Cristea’s family said they were “deeply touched and eternally grateful” for the efforts of medical staff who had tried to save her.
“After fighting for her life for over two weeks, our beloved and irreplaceable Andreea – wonderful daughter, sister, partner, dedicated friend and the most unique and life-loving person you can imagine – was cruelly and brutally ripped away from our lives in the most heartless and spiritless way,” the family’s statement said. “She will always be remembered as our shining ray of light that will forever keep on shining in our hearts.”
Cristea was in London for a short break with her boyfriend, Andrei Burnaz, who has since been discharged from hospital. A video of the incident captured at long-range showed Cristea falling from the bridge as the attacker, Khalid Masood, careered towards her in a Hyundai Tucson.
She was pulled to safety when the crew on a passing boat saw her floating downstream. Staff on the Millennium Diamond used a boat hook to grab her clothing. She was then picked up by a rescue boat and treated by paramedics.
Dan Mihalache, Romania’s ambassador to the UK, told Romanian media that Cristea, from Constanța on the Black Sea coast, had sustained serious head injuries and had badly damaged lungs. In the days after the attack she underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from her brain.
Cristea is the fifth victim from the attack on 22 March to have died. Masood ran over Aysha Frade, Kurt Cochran and Leslie Rhodes as he drove at up to 76mph across the crowded bridge at about 2.40pm that day, before crashing into railings around the courtyard of the Palace of Westminster.
The 52-year-old then leapt from the 4x4 vehicle, ran through the gates and stabbed PC Keith Palmer to death. Masood was shot dead shortly afterwards by a firearms officer.
