Jeff Bauman: Man Injured In Boston Marathon Bombing Gets Visit From Bradley Cooper, Julian Edelman
Jeff Bauman is still in the hospital recovering from horrific injuries he suffered in the Boston Marathon bombing, but this week had a few visitors to wish him well — actor Bradley Cooper and New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman.
On Thursday, the two paid a visit to Bauman, who is recovering at Boston Medical Center after having both legs amputated below the knee.
Bauman was watching the Boston Marathon, waiting for his girlfriend to complete the race, when the blast took place just feet from where he was standing. The explosion tore both of Bauman’s legs off below the knee, and a picture of him being whisked away on a wheelchair became one of the most iconic images of the event.
As he was being taken away, bystander Carlos Arredondo stood by his side, holding what appeared to be the end of a tourniquet.
Jeff Bauman has already been helpful in the search for the Boston bombing suspects. Shortly after regaining consciousness, he helped investigators determine the identity of the two suspects.
Jeff told police that a man wearing a baseball hat and sunglasses looked directly at him before dropping a bag at his feet, said Jeff’s brother, Chris Bauman.
That bag contained a bomb that would explode just minutes after being placed near Bauman’s feet, sending shrapnel throughout the crowd of spectators. The explosion left three people dead and more than 170 injured.
“He woke up under so much drugs, asked for a paper and pen and wrote, ‘bag, saw the guy, looked right at me,’ ” Chris Bauman said yesterday in an interview.
Bauman’s own family had to learn about his injuries from news footage of the event. His father said they received a frantic call from his stepdaughter asking if he had seen “the photo.” Jeff’s father then went on Facebook and found the image of his son being wheeled away.
On Thursday, Julian Edelman tweeted a photo of the visit he and Bradley Cooper paid to Jeff Bauman.
Visited #survivor #stud #hero Jeffrey Bauman Jr. today. He was looking great and is a true inspiration. #strong twitter.com/Edelman11/stat…
— Julian Edelman (@Edelman11) April 19, 2013
As Julian Edelman and Bradley Cooper were visiting Jeff Bauman, other Boston celebrities and athletes were pitching in to help with the recovery effort. Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand said he will auction off his private suite for the team’s first playoff game, with proceeds going to victims.
