Sydney siege: The waitress who escaped

Elly Chen, one of the hostages who managed to flee the Lindt cafe, is a Sydney University student and an accomplished swimmer and tennis player, reports Sydney Morning Herald.

The waitress escaped the cafe at about 5 pm Australia time, an hour after two customers and another staff member fled the building.

Her friends had expressed concern over her safety on her Facebook page during the several hours of her captivity. But they were relieved when pictures of her running out of the cafe towards a police officer emerged.

Elly Chen, according to her Facebook page, is studying for her Bachelor of Commerce in Actuarial Science and Finance.