Survivor of mass shooting reflects on her return to Utoya island, scene of killings

(20 Aug 2011) SHOTLIST
Oslo
1. Mid of Stine Renate Haheim, survivor of the Utoya massacre, walking in Oslo
Utoya Island
2. Wide of Utoya island
3. Mid of ferries crossing to Utoya island
Oslo
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Stine Renate Haheim, survivor of the Utoya massacre
"I wanted to go back as soon as possible. Utoya is a place, it has a special place in my heart. I spent summers there for over ten years. I mean extremely many good memories. I met some of my best friends there. So I wanted to back to make sure that that part of Utoya was still there."
Utoya Island
5. Mid of survivors walking on island
Oslo
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Stine Renate Haheim, survivor of the Utoya massacre
"We were also at the places where there was shooting around us. So we talked about being afraid, talking about was this a good hiding place or not. We tried to evaluate our own, our own efforts."
7. Close of eyes of Stine Renate Haheim
8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Stine Renate Haheim, survivor of the Utoya massacre
"It was very strange to be and walk where we walked but yeah and it was strange to see how steep the hills were that we actually ran down and how, yeah and how we actually managed to run in that situation. It was kind of weird way you get kind of impressed what you are actually able to do in a situation like that."
9. Close of hands of Stine Renate Haheim
10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Stine Renate Haheim, survivor of the Utoya massacre
"I think humour has helped us a lot and humour was also there today together with extreme grief and sorrow and sadness so yeah it was mixed but it felt safe."
Utoya Island
11. Mid of survivors leaving boat at Utoya island
Oslo
12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Stine Renate Haheim, survivor of the Utoya massacre
"I''m more strong in the belief that this can be a place to create more memories and that felt yeah. I left Utoya today a bit sad but also with a lot of hope yeah."
Utoya Island
13. Wide of Utoya island
STORYLINE:
Survivors of a massacre which claimed the lives of 69 people in Norway last month carried flowers to the site of the killings on Saturday, laughter blending with tears as they remembered the joys of an island youth camp that turned into a scene of horror.
One survivor, Stine Renate Haheim, spoke of her feelings as she revisited the scene of the recent carnage.
Speaking later on Saturday in the Norwegian capital Oslo, she told AP Television:"I wanted to go back as soon as possible."
Utoya "has a special place in my heart. I spent summers there for over ten years. I mean many of extremely good memories. I met some of my best friends there. So I wanted to back to make sure that that part of Utoya was still there," she added.
Whilst on the island, she said she spent some time in the areas where the shooting had taken place, was able to discuss with others the fear they had felt, and remember how she assessed her own efforts to stay safe as the massacre unfolded.
Haheim said it was a strange experience to return to the island, but added "humour has helped us a lot and humour was also there today together with extreme grief and sorrow and sadness."
And she said that she left with some optimism regarding Utoya''s future as a venue for summer camps: "I left Utoya today a bit sad but also with a lot of hope."
Norway''s criminal police chief said Utoya island was filled with flowers, candles, pictures and poems following the visit by survivors of the massacre on Saturday
Many lit candles and laid handwritten notes in memory of their friends at the sites where they were shot during the summer camp organised by the youth wing of Norway''s Labour Party.

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