Survivor Recounts Harrowing Rescues From Nova Party Massacre
Translated & summarized from Walla by baba
Rami Davidian, a survivor and rescuer from the October 7th Nova festival attack, recounts his harrowing experience of saving young people amidst the chaos. He describes the overwhelming scene, the desperate pleas from parents, and his own reliance on local knowledge to navigate the danger without a weapon. Davidian now shares his story through lectures and a book to ensure the events are not forgotten and to help others cope with the trauma.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Rami Davidian recounts his experience rescuing people from the October 7th Nova festival attack.
- He described encountering a chaotic scene with fleeing youths and hearing thousands of shots.
- Davidian received desperate calls from parents seeking information about their children.
- He relied on his knowledge of the area to navigate and rescue people without a weapon.
- Davidian now shares his story through lectures and a book to keep the memory alive.
- He continues to offer support to survivors struggling with trauma.
Nearly three years after the October 7th Hamas attacks, Rami Davidian returned to the Re'im area, the site of the Nova music festival, where he had gone that morning to rescue young people. Davidian, a resident of Moshav Patish, stated that the memories remain vivid, explaining, "Why do I speak? Why do I tell? So they won't forget. I live it." He had initially planned a quiet morning with his wife before alarms sounded and a friend called him to help rescue his son. Davidian promised to be back in "five minutes," a phrase that became closely associated with his experience.
Upon arriving at the festival grounds, Davidian encountered a chaotic scene of fleeing youths and realized the scale of the event was far beyond a single rescue. He described seeing "swarms of children running in all directions, shouting 'Water, save us.'" As he moved deeper into the area, he witnessed more groups of people, heard "thousands of shots," and saw injured and exhausted individuals. He also received calls from desperate parents seeking information about their children, with some pleading, "I have one daughter, save her, I have no one else alive." Davidian recounted that these pleas "shattered my heart" and he began to cry with the parents.
Davidian recounted the rescue of Amit, who had sent him her location and expressed doubt he could reach her. He proceeded without a weapon, relying on his familiarity with the terrain and his ability to assess the situation in real-time, stating, "The only weapon I had was life experience and knowing the area." He managed to reach Amit and bring her to his car. Her father, initially disbelieving that anyone had reached his daughter, thought Davidian was a terrorist.
Davidian described each rescue as a "miracle." In the months following the attack, he began to experience the psychological toll of his experiences. He found that recounting his story helped him cope, saying, "When I speak and I tell about October 7th, I breathe a little." He now gives lectures internationally to various audiences, including in the United States, to soldiers, and to youth, emphasizing the importance of passing the story on. He also volunteers his time to meet with soldiers and institutions lacking budgets, and continues to offer support to survivors struggling with trauma.
His experience has also been documented in his book, "Five Minutes I'll Be Back," named after the phrase he told his wife. Davidian aims to keep the memory alive for those who were not present and ensure the story is passed down. He expressed a desire for his children to grow up in a society that respects, appreciates, and forgives each other.
