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Sydney siege survivor John O’Brien had just been to a doctor’s appointment when he decided to stop in for a quick coffee at the Lindt café in Martin Place.
Mr O’Brien, 83, wasn’t to know that just seconds after walking into the popular café he would become caught up in a horrific 17 hour nightmare which would haunt him for the rest of his life.
All of a sudden, a heavily-armed extremist known as Man Horan Monis would enter the very same doors, and it would be some time before the retiree would step out again.
After six long and terrifying hours being held captive along with 16 other innocent people, Mr O’Brien made his desperate dash to safety.
He would be the first hostage to break free from Monis’ chilling and frightening imprisonment.
Soon to follow would be Sydney barrister, Stefan Balafoutis.
It’s believed that as their captor was speaking with others in the small room, both men sprinted to the front door and pushed on a green button in hopes it would be the green light to freedom.
Thankfully for them it was, and once the doors slid open, the pair ran as fast their exhausted bodies would allow.
“If that door hadn’t opened, I felt sure I was going to be shot in the back,” one of the men reportedly said.
Sporting a blue blazer, Mr O’Brien is seen running free from the building towards police.
“I have never felt so much relief in my life as when I turned that corner and saw those armed police,” Mr O’Brien said.
“We had had virtually no food all day long.”
Mr O’Brien went on to say that he’s extremely “grateful to be home with my lovely wife, Maureen, and would like to thank the media who have remained respectful, and to everyone in Australia for their kindness and support.”
He also offered his “heartfelt condolences” to their friends and family of Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson, whom were both tragically killed during the ordeal.
“My thoughts and prayers are also with my fellow hostages and everyone affected by this terrible event as we all come to terms with it.”
Meanwhile, fellow hostage Marcia Mikhael, who was shot in the foot and carried out of the Lindt Cafe, has released a photo of herself recovering in hospital.
The image was sent to 7News with the message: “In hospital recovering and re-united with her brother Jorge. She was very blessed and thankful for everyone’s prayers during the siege.”
During the 17 hours she was held hostage, Marcia was forced to record video messages with demands from the gunman and was even asked to post his demands to her facebook page.
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Hostage and Lindt café worker Joel Herat, who escaped with five other hostages, has also told of how they made a dramatic dash to safety, fearing that if they stayed, they would be dead by morning.
His mother Roma Herat said her son was forced to run for his life and took the chance to break the lock on a security door and escape when his captor turned his back for a brief moment.
“Joel said to us ‘Mum If we didn’t get out now, we were going to die.’ The terrorist said to them ‘it will be in the morning’. And they said, ‘no we’re going to get out now’,” she told the Daily Telegraph.
Roma, who was waiting with the families of other hostages close by, was unsure if her 21-year-old son was safe.
“We didn’t know what was going on. We could hear the guns and the stun grenades going off, we all screamed,” she said.
“We were so relieved but also sad because there was a sense that there was a fatality. It was bittersweet.”
Joel Herat pictured standing next to his manager Tori Johnson who was sadly killed in the tragedy.
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