Dale Atkin, a Bali bombings survivor, says he can now end that horrific chapter in his life after the execution of Bali bombers Amrozi, Mukhlas and Imam Samudra last weekend.24562
By Kelly Yates
A HALLAM man severely injured during the2002 Bali bombings says he will keep smiling knowing that the smiling assassin will never smile again.
A relieved Dale Atkin told the News he thought the execution of Bali bombers Amrozi, Mukhlas and Imam Samudra would never come.
“It’s been a hell of a journey. Now with the terrorists dead, it ends that horrific chapter of my life,” Mr Atkin said.
All three were strapped to wooden posts and shot by a firing squad in the early hours of Sunday 9 November.
Two hundred and two people died and hundreds more were maimed after two bombs ripped through Bali’s Sari Club and Paddy’s Bar on 12 October 2002.
Vowing to never return to Bali, the 33-year-old said there wasn’t a chance in hell he would go back.
“The first time I travel to Bali, I get blown up within a few hours,” he said.
Mr Atkin, who has been living in Hallam for more than 28 years, is doing his best to lead a full life after suffering burns to nearly half his body during the devastating attacks.
Reliving the memories, Mr Atkin said he saw the first explosion at Paddy’s Bar while drinking in the Sari Club.
“We saw a fireball and I turned to my mate in disbelief. All of a sudden we were getting thrown through the air,” he said.
In an effort to escape the burning club, Mr Atkin jumped over a two metre high wall.
“It was a war zone. There was blood everywhere and a weird smell that circulated around Kuta,” he said.
Mr Atkin said his injuries from the blasts were now as good as they would ever get.
“When I wake up every morning the scars are a constant reminder of my fight for survival,” he said.
Mr Atkin spent 24 hours in a Bali hospital before being flown back to Australia on an RAAF Hercules transport aircraft, where he then spent five days in The Alfred, with his family by his side.
The anniversary of the 2002 Bali bombings gets easier for Mr Atkin every year.
“But the memories keep flooding back,” he said.
Mr Atkin said he felt deeply for the families who lost loved ones during the bombings.
