'I was pissed more than afraid'
SEATTLE -- After four days in an Israeli prison and one day in flight, David Schermerhorn came home to hero's welcome on Friday night.
"Oh, my God, I hadn't expected this," said Schermerhorn on Friday as a crowd of pro-Palestinian activists greeted him at Sea-Tac Airport.
Earlier this week, the 80-year-old Orcas Island man was on a humanitarian mission aboard a ship in a convoy 75 miles from Gaza when the flotilla was intercepted by Israelis forces. Nine people were killed in the ensuing scuffle, and Israel remains under furious international scrutiny.
Schermerhorn said he watched the action unfold as his own ship tried to get away.
"Another boat, a larger boat threatened to ram us," he said.
A filmmaker, Schermerhorn pulled out his Sony still camera, and began shooting the action.
"Sure that they were already on board, I stepped into the cabin, tried to close the door. Got footage of them breaking the door to the cabin. They smashed the thick glass," he said. "I was pissed more than afraid."
As news of the raid hit headlines, Schermerhorn's family spotted him a video, uninjured. Schermerhorn was hauled off to Israeli prison.
For four days, he was held prisoner with almost 700 others. Aside from wrangling for legal representation, Schermerhorn can't say he was treated badly.
He believes the nine lives lost were not in vain; the world has heard their story.
"They died as martyrs, and I think that is really the case," he said.
Wearing the same clothes he wore the day of the siege, Schermerhorn was stripped of everything but the clothes on his back.
But somehow the searchers didn't find one of Schermerhorn's most treasured possessions -- the chip from his camera in his wallet, wrapped in a tiny piece of paper and nestled behind pictures of his children.
"And they found everything else," he said. "I have it. I have it. I don't know what's on it."
Schermerhorn is anxious to see the images he captured. He hopes they will help tell his story of what would have been his fourth mission to Gaza.
"Oh, my God, I hadn't expected this," said Schermerhorn on Friday as a crowd of pro-Palestinian activists greeted him at Sea-Tac Airport.
Earlier this week, the 80-year-old Orcas Island man was on a humanitarian mission aboard a ship in a convoy 75 miles from Gaza when the flotilla was intercepted by Israelis forces. Nine people were killed in the ensuing scuffle, and Israel remains under furious international scrutiny.
Schermerhorn said he watched the action unfold as his own ship tried to get away.
"Another boat, a larger boat threatened to ram us," he said.
A filmmaker, Schermerhorn pulled out his Sony still camera, and began shooting the action.
"Sure that they were already on board, I stepped into the cabin, tried to close the door. Got footage of them breaking the door to the cabin. They smashed the thick glass," he said. "I was pissed more than afraid."
As news of the raid hit headlines, Schermerhorn's family spotted him a video, uninjured. Schermerhorn was hauled off to Israeli prison.
For four days, he was held prisoner with almost 700 others. Aside from wrangling for legal representation, Schermerhorn can't say he was treated badly.
He believes the nine lives lost were not in vain; the world has heard their story.
"They died as martyrs, and I think that is really the case," he said.
Wearing the same clothes he wore the day of the siege, Schermerhorn was stripped of everything but the clothes on his back.
But somehow the searchers didn't find one of Schermerhorn's most treasured possessions -- the chip from his camera in his wallet, wrapped in a tiny piece of paper and nestled behind pictures of his children.
"And they found everything else," he said. "I have it. I have it. I don't know what's on it."
Schermerhorn is anxious to see the images he captured. He hopes they will help tell his story of what would have been his fourth mission to Gaza.
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