Rainbow Beach’s Jim Hancock was a 22-year-old surfer who had only just arrived in London when he found himself at the epicentre of the city’s darkest hour.
As the world marks the anniversary of the London bombings on 7 July, one Australian is finally ready to share his untold story and the remarkable journey that followed.
On the morning of 7 July 2005, London was rocked by a coordinated terrorist attack that changed the city forever.
Four suicide bombers detonated explosives on three Underground trains and a double-decker bus, killing 52 people and injuring more than 700.
Among the victims were several Australians.
The attack, orchestrated by Islamist extremists living in the United Kingdom, remains one of the deadliest in UK history.
Jim had been in London for just a week, on his first overseas adventure.
He was walking to a job interview via Russell Square tube station when he found himself at the epicentre of chaos.
“The station gates were shut, injured people were inside, and there were no ambulances or first responders in sight. I
told the staff I was a first aider and asked if I could help,” Jim said.
“For the first 30 minutes, I was the only person with any first aid experience. Then a couple of police arrived, and nurses ran down from a nearby hospital.
“After an hour or so, paramedics arrived and took control. But that first hour, helping the critically injured with only basic first aid supplies will never leave me.”
After the survivors were evacuated, Jim stayed behind with the nurses to help wherever it was needed, finding it hard to just walk away.
“At the time, I felt lucky as I was never really in danger and was able to help others. But I was oblivious to the impact the bombing would have on my mental health for months, years, even decades. Back then, mental health wasn’t acknowledged the way it is now and there was certainly no awareness of the impact traumatic events like this could have on first responders and those seeking to help.”
For two decades Jim kept his story private aside from a reluctant media phone interview set up by a fellow football team mate the day after the bombing.
It wasn’t until 2021, sixteen years after the event, that he channelled his experience into a business, Empathy Herbal, which he operates from Rainbow Beach in Queensland.
Using the $20,000 payment he received from the Australian Government’s Victims of Terrorism Overseas Payment, Jim created a business dedicated to helping others improve their health through anti-inflammatory living, drawing on the skills he had developed in meditation, breathwork, exercise, and nutrition during his own 20-year recovery.
“Now I’m lucky enough to compassionately help people improve their health and quality of life through diet, exercise and mindfulness practices. What’s stayed with me most from that day is the empathy and courage shown as average people came together in a moment of chaos and fear to help one another,” Jim said.
The trauma of “7/7” rippled far beyond those directly injured or killed. First responders, bystanders, friends, and families all bear invisible scars.
Jim’s story highlights the enduring psychological impact on those who helped, and the importance of empathy and support for all affected by terrorism.
He keeps a newspaper he bought from the day after the bombing, featuring a photo of a survivor he helped, a poignant reminder of the ordinary people caught up in extraordinary tragedy.
“He’s being supported by other volunteers in the station, at a time when police suspected there may have been another bomb — something all those who helped did not stop to think about at the time,” Jim said.
“That image captures one moment — but the full story touches on so much more: unseen trauma, healing and the quiet ways everyday people can rise in moments of crisis.”
While Jim is based in the beachside town of Rainbow Beach, he spends three months a year in Indonesia working closely with his network of local farmers to develop his Empathy Herbal range – producing anti-inflammatory herbal powders, capsules, teas, oils and balms using black garlic, moringa, curcumin, white turmeric and red ginger.
To find out more about Empathy Herbal visit www.empathyherbal.com.au.
