Omagh mother’s relief as son escapes war zone

AN Omagh mother whose son finally boarded a flight out of Israel on Wednesday morning has said news of the 26-year-old’s homecoming has taken an ‘unbearable weight off her shoulders’.

Jamie Fagan traveled to the Middle Eastern region last week to teach dance classes in schools and refugee camps.

However, last Saturday, Hamas – a Palestinian resistance group – launched an unprecedented attack on Israel.

A state of war was then declared by Israel, meaning, in effect, that Jamie and his fellow volunteers were trapped in an active war
zone.

Jamie’s mother, Kerry, said she was ‘terrified’ for her son’s safety, but on Wednesday morning, awash with relief, Kerry confirmed that Jamie had boarded a plane from Tel Aviv to Turkey, where he would get a connecting flight to London, before eventually arriving home.

“It is just pure relief to know that he is on his way home,” said Kerry, speaking with the UH.

“By the time people read whatever you print, he could already be back in Omagh.”

Earlier in the week, Kerry told us how Jamie had first contacted her on Saturday morning to say that the first missiles had landed.

“It was the worst thing a mother could hear, to be honest.

“I have been used my entire life to being a position where I felt like I could protect him.

“Then, all of a sudden, he is in what seems like grave danger, but he is thousands of miles away and there is nothing I can do.

“I felt totally helpless.”

Kerry explained how Jamie and the group he was with first contacted the British embassy, before later having to reach out to the Irish embassy.

“The Irish embassy were very helpful,” said Kerry.

“They instructed Jamie and the rest of them to have their bags packed and their passports ready at all times, and that the plan was to send a taxi – which would be fitted with a tracker – for them when a flight became available, and that it would take them to the airport.”

Kerry’s contact with Jamie was sporadic, as tourists were discouraged from using their phones unless absolutely necessary.

“They were afraid that if their location became known, they might be taken hostage.”

However, none of Kerry’s worst fears came to pass, and, at the time of reading, it is likely that Jamie is either already home, or else will be soon.

“I am just so happy to know he is finally safe,” said Kerry. “That was the longest week of my life.”