‘I thought I was having a heart attack’: Nova rescuer reveals PTSD battle

On the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, Oz Davidian woke at his home in Moshav Maslul in southern Israel to an unusually heavy barrage of rockets. He and his wife gathered their daughters and searched for shelter. During a lull, as they collected water and diapers, a message appeared in the family WhatsApp group. His sister Dikla, who was near the Nova music festival site, said several terrified young people had reached her husband, who owns a farm in the area, and were asking for help. “I’ll be out in a few minutes,” Davidian replied. He told his wife and daughters to remain at home, threw a six-pack of water into his pickup truck and drove out. Instead of taking the roads, he drove through open terrain. In retrospect, he says, that decision may have saved his own life as well.