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London attacks: Adelaide woman injured in Westminster recovering after surgery.

By Europe correspondent Lisa Millar

Adelaide woman Patricia Neis-Beer is hoping to return to Australia as soon as possible, according to the Australian High Commissioner, who visited her in hospital in London on Friday.

Ms Neis-Beer underwent surgery on her foot which was crushed in the attack on Westminster Bridge.

She was in London visiting her daughter on holidays.

Ms Neis-Beer, who is a German national and a permanent resident of Australia, had lived in South Australia since she was nine.

“She’s in good spirits and she in particular praised the surgeon who has done the operation and the nurse and staff in the hospital,” said Australian High Commissioner Alexander Downer.

“She said, to use her words, ‘They’ve been absolutely fantastic’.”

Mr Downer said her daughter was with her.

“This is of course a very traumatic experience for any human being to go through and a difficult time,” he said.

The Downers have lived within a kilometre of Ms Neis-Beer in the Adelaide Hills for decades, something they bonded over during the 20-minute hospital visit.

“I’ve bought many a latte from her at the organic market cafe and shop in Stirling in the Adelaide Hills, so it was quite a reunion,” he said.

Ms Neis-Beer is hoping to return to Australia as soon as she can, and the High Commission is doing all it can to help her, Mr Downer said.

He had just finished having lunch with his daughter Olivia on Wednesday about a kilometre from the attack site. She had been walking across the next bridge down the river from Westminster towards a Tube station at the time.

Mr Downer said life was continuing in London as normal and he had not received reports about Australians changing plans to visit.

This post originally appeared on ABC News.


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