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| Las Vegas shootings: Cheshire soldier helped victims | Las Vegas shootings: Cheshire soldier helped victims |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| One of the British soldiers praised by the prime minister for helping victims of the Las Vegas massacre said he was "trying to do what I thought was best". | One of the British soldiers praised by the prime minister for helping victims of the Las Vegas massacre said he was "trying to do what I thought was best". |
| Trooper Stuart Finlay, of Cheshire, was celebrating his 25th birthday with two comrades when gunman Stephen Paddock killed at least 58 people on Sunday. | Trooper Stuart Finlay, of Cheshire, was celebrating his 25th birthday with two comrades when gunman Stephen Paddock killed at least 58 people on Sunday. |
| The trio abandoned a meal in a nearby hotel to help victims, including a woman who was shot in the leg. | |
| "As soon as it does happen, your training kicks in," Pte Finlay said. | |
| Their actions earned praise from Theresa May, who thanked them for their efforts earlier this week. | Their actions earned praise from Theresa May, who thanked them for their efforts earlier this week. |
| Pte Finlay had been doing training in California as part of the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards regiment before he took leave with Troopers Ross Woodward and Chris May to celebrate his birthday in the city. | Pte Finlay had been doing training in California as part of the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards regiment before he took leave with Troopers Ross Woodward and Chris May to celebrate his birthday in the city. |
| The three of them had been in the Tropicana, a hotel which faces the Mandalay Bay Hotel where Paddock was shooting from, and initially thought they were hearing fireworks, before recognising the sound as gunfire. | |
| They then ran to the area between the two hotels, where up to 500 people had also been injured, and split up to help casualties. | |
| "I found a woman, probably about my age, she was on the floor and she had got shot in the lower back," Pte Finlay, from Ellesmere Port, said. | "I found a woman, probably about my age, she was on the floor and she had got shot in the lower back," Pte Finlay, from Ellesmere Port, said. |
| He said he used towels and a T-shirt to apply pressure to the wound, adding: "While I was treating this young lady, another woman had come who was shot in the leg so I tried to elevate her leg to stop the bleed and try and carry on dealing with the other woman." | He said he used towels and a T-shirt to apply pressure to the wound, adding: "While I was treating this young lady, another woman had come who was shot in the leg so I tried to elevate her leg to stop the bleed and try and carry on dealing with the other woman." |
| He also helped a third woman who had broken her leg. | He also helped a third woman who had broken her leg. |
| "At the time I wasn't really thinking, I was just trying to do what I thought was best and that was helping people get to safety or treating injuries." | "At the time I wasn't really thinking, I was just trying to do what I thought was best and that was helping people get to safety or treating injuries." |
| His father Kev said he was "panicking inside, fearing the worst" when he heard about the biggest shooting in modern US history. | His father Kev said he was "panicking inside, fearing the worst" when he heard about the biggest shooting in modern US history. |
| "When I couldn't get in touch with him my head was all over the place. Once I found out what he did, I can't describe the feeling of pride and so much relief," he said. |