“All I could say is, ‘I’m so sorry'”: Maria, first on scene in Bourke St pays tribute to Sisto Malaspina

One of the people first on the scene in Bourke Street has paid tribute to Sisto Malaspina.

In a moving interview, Maria told Neil Mitchell she has first aid training and ran towards the scene as crowds were running away.

“He was a beautiful Italian man,” Maria said.

“When I turned around, immediately that’s when I saw a body slump on the ground.

“I was going in amongst a crowd running away from me.

“I’d tried everything but I wasn’t going to leave him just lying there.

“I wiped his brow, I had to comfort him and all I could say is, ‘I’m so sorry’.”

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Maria said the way crowds reacted had a big impact on her.

“The way everything unfolded around me was more shocking than anything else,” she said.

“I don’t understand why people have to turn around and start taking photos.”

“A brave person,” Neil said.

“An extremely confronting thing to do.”