Lina and Rotem heard about the Nova Festival while traveling together in South America. They arrived early with their friend Kate as the party gates opened. At 6:30 in the morning, they were at the front of the dance floor. They did not see the rocket fire and did not hurry to evacuate. Lina says she did not realize the magnitude of the event, while Rotem experienced an anxiety attack. When a van filled with armed terrorists pulled up at the party area, people started running, but they were unable to advance due to gunfire from all directions. When another friend joined, they tried to continue in the car, even driving over dead bodies. After encountering the terrorists, they jumped out of the car and hid in a river. During the hours they were hiding, they were discovered by unarmed Gazans who stole their car. The group remained in hiding for eight hours until a brave citizen risked his life to rescue them.