48 Hours Live to Tell: The Long Road Home
8 snips
Mar 4, 2026 Sebastien Bellin, former pro basketball player turned tech entrepreneur who survived the March 2016 Brussels airport terror attack. He recounts the blasts, the chaos of that day, and the emergency surgeries that followed. Short scenes cover his hospital transfer, rehab milestones, the moment he first walked again with teammates, and how trauma shaped his drive to move forward.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Pre-Attack Tension Heightened Travel Risk Perception
- Context matters: Brussels was on high alert after Paris attacks, increasing Sebastien's premonition of danger.
- Arrests of Paris-linked suspects days before raised tension and made travel feel riskier to him.
Caught By The Second Blast
- Sebastien Bellin describes being near the first blast at Brussels Airport, thinking he escaped, then being caught by the second explosion.
- He recounts running toward security, feeling clarity as death loomed and then the second blast hitting him.
Improvised First Aid With Luggage And Scarf
- After the blast Sebastien was pulled behind a column, saw bone and flesh through his hip, and improvised tourniquets using luggage and a scarf.
- He demanded to be moved to the front of the airport, warning responders their conscience would bear it if he died there.