Westminster terror attack victim Kurt Cochran was killed on his first trip abroad

Kurt Cochran, one of the victims of the Westminster terror attack, was killed on his first holiday abroad.

His family said today that the 54-year-old and his wife Melissa had been on the final day of a holiday to Europe to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary when he was killed.

The couple were struck by the car driven by Khalid Masood on Westminster Bridge in London last Wednesday.

Mr Cochran suffered catastrophic injuries and died later that day, while his wife remains in hospital having suffered a broken leg and rib and a cut head.

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Members of the couple’s families spoke at a press conference in London on Monday.

They said the pair had ‘fallen in love with London’ during what was their first trip outside the US.

The couple visited Scotland, Ireland and parts of England, including Stonehenge, before arriving in London.

Their family realised they had been caught up in the attack when they looked at photographs from the scene that had been posted online.

They had been due to fly back to the US the day after the attack.

The couple had visited Melissa’s parents, who work as missionaries in the London Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Her mother, Sandra Payne, said the couple had been ‘loving every minute’ of their trip and that Mr Cochran said he felt ‘at home’ in London.

Mr Cochran’s brother-in-law, Clint Payne, told a press conference at New Scotland Yard: ‘The most difficult part of all of this is that Kurt is no longer with us, and we miss him terribly.

‘He was an amazing individual who loved everyone and tried to make the world a better place. He left a legacy of generosity and service that continues to inspire us.

‘We are deeply saddened to lose him but are grateful that the world is coming to know him and be inspired by him.

‘This has been a humbling and difficult experience, but we’ve felt the love of so many people during these past several days.

‘It has been a tender experience for our family to be together with Melissa here. Her health is steadily improving and she has been strengthened by the presence of her family. She is so grateful for the outpouring of love and generosity.’

The family said Mr Cochran, from Utah, bore no ‘ill will’ to anyone and spent his life focusing on ‘the positive’.

Mr Cochran was one of three pedestrians killed in the attack – mother—of-two Aysha Frade, 43, who worked at a college near Westminster Bridge, and retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, also died, while on-duty policeman PC Keith Palmer, 48, was fatally stabbed by Masood, who was then shot dead by police.

Fifty people were injured.