Watching images of carnage and bloodshed in Libya on TV, Jenine Ingham feared for her partner Rob Davidson, who was based in the volatile North African nation and desperate to return to New Zealand.
Talking to each other via internet video conferencing every day, Rob (40) was working as an electrician on an oil rig in the Libyan desert and Jenine (36) knew the situation was serious when he looked frightened and continued to vomit during one particularly intense conversation.
“It was hell,” explains Jenine, who lives at their home in Levin. “The hardest part for me was shutting the laptop down and saying goodbye, not knowing if I would ever see him again.”
Rob had worked in Libya for a year, and would spend five weeks at a time in the country, before returning to New Zealand for a five-week break.
When Rob first learned he was going to be based in an isolated desert in a nation ruled by tyrannical dictator Colonel ouammar Gaddafi, he didn’t know what to expect.
“I hated it at first and resigned on the second day,” he explains. “It was right out of my comfort zone. It took three days to fly there for starters, and I didn’t know how to speak the language.
“But the more I stayed there, the more the place grew on me.”
He says locals would tell him horror stories about Gaddafi, who rules with an iron fist and doesn’t bat an eyelid at killing anyone who speaks out against him.
“They have no freedom. No more than four people can gather at a time, and if you speak out against him, you might not be seen the next day.
“As soon as people started protesting, he started killing.”
After seeing citizens of neighbouring countries Egypt and Tunisia oust their leaders, anti-government forces in Libya have taken matters into their own hands in an effort to end Gaddafi’s 42-year reign.
Gaddafi has responded by encouraging his supporters to attack and kill anyone who plots against him.
When the violence erupted in Libyan cities last month, Rob immediately knew it was a serious and potentially lethal situation.
“I would watch Gaddafi on TV and it was terrifying. Anybody who stood in his way was being executed. He was very staunch in the way he spoke and it was obvious he had no care for human life.
“I didn’t feel safe at all, with my nationality, being a Westerner and looking like I could come from the US – it made me nervous.”
Rob was at the mercy of his company, which held all its workers’ passports. He even thought of ways he could escape the country without a passport.
He grew even more concerned when neighbouring rigs were being held up at gunpoint and other rig workers were getting carjacked. He knew that it was only a matter of time before his location would be targeted.
“People in the villages around us were running out of supplies and we feared they might raid our site,” explains Rob. “We were sitting ducks.”
At night the rig would normally light up “like Christmas decorations” and, as the onsite electrician, Rob’s job would be to ensure all the lights on the huge site were disabled so they would be in pitch black, and not easily seen.
“I thought I was never coming home. I was starting to plan to put money in our joint account, just in case I died, and then I knew my partner would be looked after and the mortgage would be covered.
“I couldn’t sleep for about a week and I was getting nervous and crying quite a bit.”
To Rob’s delight, his company finally devised a plan to evacuate him and his fellow workers and lead them to safety, which meant a two-day drive to the city of Benghazi.
During their journey, Rob feared they would come face to face with Gaddafi’s soldiers. Instead, what Rob saw was the passion of the people, young men with machine guns willing to fight and die for their cause.
“They welcomed us with open arms.They weren’t out for us – they were fighting for their freedom.”
Rob was grateful to arrive in Benghazi and waited to board a British warship taking European and Commonwealth citizens to safety in oalta.
“We were jammed into the ship like sardines. It was a 21-hour voyage to oalta, and an hour into our journey people were getting sea sick and vomiting everywhere. But I didn’t mind, because I knew I would soon be back in New Zealand and home safe.”
It’s been a month since Rob’s return and despite escaping the harrowing situation with his life, there is some disappointment.
“It’s a double-edged sword. I’m alive and safe, but I’m out of a job. I’ve got a mortgage to pay. What am I going to do?
“I managed to pick up some temporary work. I’m going to take what I can get.”
Both Rob and Jenine are counting their blessings that he’s home.
“I don’t know what I’d do if he was still there. I’m so relieved to have him back, I would have been lost without him,” says Jenine.
“He’s my life. I appreciate him a lot more. I’m so happy to have him here with me.”
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