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‘Very fortunate’ to have escaped blasts, says runner BC tes
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Cs BC B s voteathletes confirmed votesafe after Boston Marathon bombing Abbotsford and Mission 13 13 20
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sister: ‘Did you hear?’” she said. “I knew he was finished, so I was very tense, but I felt fairly certain Having completed his first that he was OK. My educated Boston Marathon on Monday guess was that he was OK, but afternoon, Ryan Prachnau was then you always start to doubt.” back at his hotel when his cellDavies phoned to confirm he phone started buzzing with text was safe – he was picking up his messages from family members bag after the race when he heard and friends concerned for his the blast “well behind” him. safety. “Because he was ahead of the The 30-year-old Abbotsford pack, thankfully he didn’t see resident turned on the TV to any of that (carnage),” Ratcliffe discover that two explosions said. “It’s just a terrible, terrible had rocked the finish line area thing, so senseless.” at 2:45 p.m. Yakashiro, president of SunAs of press deadline, media rise Toyota in Abbotsford, was reports out of Boston indiconfirmed safe via the business cated that two people had died Twitter feed. Murphy has also – including an eight-year-old checked in with loved ones in boy – and more than 130 were Abbotsford injured, including at least 17 Mission residents Colin critically. Mclean and Chris Race also “We turned on the TV, and participated in the race, and we’re just watching this thing both have sent word that they’re now,” Prachnau told The News uninjured. Mclean, a teacher at via cellphone. “It’s pretty sad to Hatzic Elementary School, ran see this whole thing happen.” the half-marathon, and accordPrachnau traveled to Boston AP photo – Charles Krupa ing to principal Melinda Dempwith his wife Sophia for the 117th edition of the storied race. Emergency workers tend to the injured after a pair of blasts at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday afternoon. Four ster, he crossed the finish line about five minutes before the He finished in a personal best runners from Abbotsford and two from Mission were participants in the race. explosions. Family contacted the time of two hours, 38 minutes She was watching me at the finish, right in Watching the coverage on TV was a harschool to let everyone know that and 37 seconds, crossing the finish line at the same area.” rowing ordeal for friends and family back he was uninjured, said Dempster. 12:38 p.m. – more than two hours before the Prachnau was one of four Abbotsford run- home. Trish Ratcliffe, Davies’s wife, was folChris Race is a District of Mission detonations. ners registered for the Boston Marathon, lowing his progress on the athlete tracker employee, and according to a text received “I just feel very fortunate that I was able along with Monica Murphy, Phil Davies on the event website and saw that he’d by a co-worker, she was 400 metres from to finish earlier and was able to get out of and David Yakashiro. All four have been crossed the finish line at 2:28 p.m. the finish line when the bombs went off. there,” he said. “My wife was watching right confirmed safe and sound. “Then I got the call at work from my Her companion Peter Haffner is also safe. where this happened (at the finish line).
Dan KINVIG
Abbotsford News
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