Canadian social worker died in fiance's arms after London terror attack


A Canadian woman killed in the terrorist attack in London died in the arms of her husband-to-be after she was struck by a speeding van that slammed into her and others on London Bridge, her fiancé's siblings said.

Christine Archibald was among the seven people killed Saturday night when three attackers targeted pedestrians on the bridge before stabbing dozens of others in the Borough Market area, officials said.

Archibald was originally from Castlebar, British Columbia, but also held French citizenship and had moved to Europe with her fiancé, Tyler Ferguson.

Archibald and Ferguson got engaged a few months ago, as he proposed after she moved to live with him in Den Haag, Netherlands, loved ones said.

Read: Witnesses Describe Horror During London Terror Attacks: 'I Saw a Man Stabbing the Woman'

Ferguson had traveled to London on business and Archibald joined him there for the weekend, his brother, Mark Ferguson told CBC News.

"My brother... knows London pretty well. He was showing her some sights and walking around and just enjoying the nice night," Mark Ferguson said. "He heard tires screeching and he looked back, and he just saw the mayhem going on and the van hitting people. He tried CPR on her.... First responders showed up right away and they tried to do everything they could for her. She passed in his arms."

SEE: Police respond to report of incidents at London Bridge:

Ferguson's parents and his best friend were with him in London Monday, family said.

"In a split second his entire life was ripped away from him," Ferguson's sister, Cassie Ferguson Rowe, wrote on Facebook. "Hearing his painful sobs on the phone while he's alone trying to deal with this tears me apart. I have no words. If you know Tyler, please be there for him now, and later when what happened sinks in, he's going to need us all."

Read: 7 Killed After Van Slams into Pedestrians on London Bridge and Men Attack People With Knives

Archibald worked at the Calgary homeless shelter Alpha House before moving to Europe.

"Alpha House is one of the agencies in the city that takes... people who are intoxicated. It's a difficult population to work with and she was successful, both as a student and... she continued to be a successful social worker," said Peter Choate, an associate professor of social work at Calgary's Mount Royal University, where Archibald was awarded a diploma in social work in 2015. "She found a population she resonated with and enjoyed working with."

Her family described Archibald as having a huge heart, and urged those mourning the loss of the selfless woman to put their energy into helping others.

"She had room in her heart for everyone and believed strongly that every person was to be valued and respected," a statement by the Archibald family said. "She would have had no understanding of the callous cruelty that caused her death. Please honor her by making your community a better place. Volunteer your time and labor or donate to a homeless shelter. Tell them Chrissy sent you."

SEE: Tributes to the victims of the London Bridge attack:

Watch: These Are the Victims of the Manchester Terror Attack

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