'Tell the police to hurry. People are dying here!'
Julie Bremnes, 16, was one of the youths caught on Utoeya island during Anders Behring Breivik's killing spree on Friday.
She first called her mother, Marianne, at 1710 to tell her there was "a crazy man who is shooting here" on the island. She asked her mother to call the police, and Marianne asked Julie to send her updates by text message to let her know she was still alive.
Julie eventually escaped unscathed after hiding behind rocks on the shore. Below is the SMS exchange between mother and daughter published in Norwegian newspaper VG.
Continue reading the main story17:42
Julie
Mummy, tell the police that they must be quick. People are dying here!
Mum
I'm working on it, Julie. The police are on their way. Dare you call me?
Julie
No.
Julie
Tell the police that there is a mad man running around and shooting people.
Julie
They must hurry!
Mum
The police know and they have had many calls. It is going well, Julie. Police are calling us now. Give us a sign of life every five minutes please?
Julie
OK.
Julie
We are in fear for our lives.
Mum
I understand that very well, my darling. Stay hidden, do not move anywhere! The police are already on their way, if they haven't already arrived! Do you see anyone injured or killed?
Julie
We are hiding in the rocks along the coast.
Mum
Good! Should I ask your grandfather to come down and pick you up when everything is safe again? You have the option.
Julie
Yes.
Mum
We will contact Grandpa immediately.
Julie
I love you even if I still misbehave from time to time.
Julie
And I'm not panicking even if I'm shit scared.
Mum
I know that my darling. We love you too very much. Do you still hear shooting?
Julie
No.
18:15
Mum
Have you heard anything from the other people from Tromso? Grandpa is on his way down.
Julie
The police are here.
Mum
The person shooting is said to be in police uniform. Be careful! What happens to you now?
18:30
Julie
We do not know.
Mum
Can you talk now?
Julie
No. He is still shooting!
Mum
Joergen has swum to the shore. I just spoke to his father.
This is everywhere on the national news now, all attention on Utoeya now. Be careful! When you get the chance, you come to the mainland and stay with Grandpa of Hamar.Julie
I'm still alive.
Mum
And thanks and praise for that.
Julie
We are waiting to be picked up by the police.
We heard shooting just now, so we dared not get up.
Mum
Good! Good, well done. The evacuation is now ongoing, they are saying on TV.
Julie
We hope we will be picked up by someone soon. Can they not catch him soon?!
Mum
The anti-terrorism unit is there and they are working on catching him.
Julie
OK.
Mum
Should we try to get the flight home tomorrow?
Julie
I have no time to think about that now.
Mum
I understand that.
Julie
Do you know if they have managed to catch him?
Mum
Will keep you posted, my darling. We are following everything on television.
Mum
Hey, are you there?
Julie
Yes. The helicopters are circling above us.
Mum
Then you should be OK?
Julie
They are looking for people in the water, we have not been picked up yet!
19:01
Julie
What are they saying in the news?
Mum
The police are also arriving by boat to Utoeya, otherwise nothing new. It is not clear what's happened to the shooter so keep still. Wait for someone to pick you up.
Mum
Now they have taken him!
Marianne Bremnes spoke to the BBC about her "huge relief" when she heard her daughter was safe. She said her daughter was a "tough girl" - but nobody knew what long-term consequences there might be.
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
BBC News - 'Tell the police to hurry. People are dying here!'
via bbc.co.uk
