Before taking on another terrorist who was assaulting a police officer, the former banker used his skateboard to ward off the attacker and distract him while other people fled to safety.
Mr Echeverra, who was born in Spain, was then stabbed twice in the back by a third terrorist and died as a result of his injuries.
Following an outpouring of accolades to his bravery in Spain and the United Kingdom, his family is now pursuing formal recognition as a saint, according to The Times.
Following an open letter from Pope Francis following the attack, his relatives were approached by Juan Antonio Martnez Camino, the auxiliary bishop of Madrid, to pursue canonization.
‘The heroic offering of life, suggested and sustained by charity, expresses a true, complete, and exemplary imitation of Christ and, thus, deserves the admiration that the faithful community usually reserves for those who have voluntarily accepted blood martyrdom or have heroically exercised Christian virtues,’ wrote the Pope.
He went on to remark that people who ‘give their lives freely and voluntarily for others’ are deserving of special recognition.
Mr. Echeverra has already earned a number of posthumous awards, including the Spanish Order of Civil Merit and the George Medal, which was presented to his parents by the British government.