‘Abducted’ in International Waters: North Coast Native Sailing to Gaza on Veteran’s Flotilla is Intercepted

Windfield Beaver on the Ohwayla. [Photos from Windfield Beaver’s Facebook page]

Less than 100 kilometers from the shores of Gaza at daybreak, tracking data showed flotilla ships being intercepted one by one as communications from the group began to drop off. Aboard the vessel Ohwayla — which carried a 14-person crew that included nine Americans and was largely composed of military veterans — Orleans resident Windfield Moon Beaver was part of the group set on delivering food and diapers to civilians.

The anti-war veterans group About Face has posted Instagram messages for each crew member, advocating for their release.

Among the group of over 40 civilian vessels carrying more than 500 people from different nations, The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) has confirmed the ship Ohwayla was “intercepted” in international waters as it approached Gaza’s territorial seas, in the early hours of October 2, in the Mediterranean sea. As it was heading toward Gaza’s waters near the front of the flotilla group, the vessel lost connection with the tracking team late in the evening, as Windfield “Wind” Beaver sent messages to family and friends via Signal, before ultimately going into security protocol in anticipation of the Ohwayla being boarded and seized. 

In his official pre-recorded SOS transmission posted to the GSF website, Windfield Beaver tells the public, “if you are watching this video, I have been kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces and taken against my will. Tell my government to end its complicity with Israel and to bring me home. Stop the genocide.” 

A screenshot capture of the flotilla tracker after radio communications were thwarted and crews were in the process of being confirmed as intercepted, data shows the Ohwayla off course after having been in the front section of the flotilla. 

With communications jammed as Israeli military vessels closed in on flotilla vessels, Global Sumud Flotilla crew members aboard dropped their cell phones into the sea as part of a safety protocol initiated during anticipated interception at sea, making further communication to outside support networks even more difficult. For this reason, the whereabouts of specific crew members remains unconfirmed, possibly until flotilla participants are given the ability to contact outside diplomatic agencies to negotiate their return – as with previous incidents of flotilla ships being seized and crew members jailed or detained by the Israeli military (IDF), after being pulled from international waters.

Wind’s last message posted to Facebook indicates that he expected to be taken into custody with the rest of the veteran-run crew of the Ohwayla, on the evening of October 1st. “I have been abducted by Isr@eli forces. Take action! Call the US embassy in Isr@el and demand them to pressure the Isr@eli government to immediately release the flotilla crew,” reads the 12-hour old facebook post, at the time of this report. 

We spoke with Windfield Beaver’s brother, Ben Beaver, who explained that his brother, Windfield, grew up in Forks of Salmon and later made a home in the eastern remote part of Humboldt County, in the enclave of Orleans, where he has lived for 20 years. Feeling compelled to offer his services as a mechanic to the GSF, Beaver was added to the crew of the Ohwayla – better known as the “Veterans boat” which has made news in recent weeks featuring interviews from US Veteran Gregg Stoker. 

Before reaching the waters surrounding Gaza, Windfield Beaver publicly posted about the mission, sharing beautiful images from the Mediterranean. 

Wind’s brother, Ben Beaver, explained by phone that family and friends understood Wind’s convictions and moral compass on the issue, and were all in to support him once he had announced his intent to sail with the GSF. His brother told us, “These people, these hundreds of people on this Flotilla… knew they’re risking their lives, and they’re like, ‘no but this is a cause that we’re willing to fight for’,” he said, illustrating the group’s tenacity in the face of what they recognized as near-impossible objective.

Not knowing where his brother is being held, in what conditions, or when he may get news of Wind’s safety – he added, “Many of us wait our entire lives to find a purpose or find something to fight for. These are ‘moral warriors’ who understand what it means to stand up for human rights.”

According to Ben Beaver and confirmed by media representatives from the GSF, Windfield Beaver’s last messages to a Signal group chat showed that he was aware of the risks as the Israeli military began circling vessels, applying pressure tactics like spraying vessels with what was described by some crews as “sulfur water”, flying drones overhead, and using frequency jamming technology to frustrate radio communications between vessels. 

The public was invited to track the ships and to view yesterday’s live-streamed progress of the Global Sumud Flotilla as they sailed closer to Gaza’s territorial waters. At the time of this reporting, one vessel remains visible on a live feed still sailing towards Gaza – the Marinette. 

A press release issued by GSF yesterday as vessels were being intercepted in international waters asks supporters to contact their state officials and embassies in the State of Israel, to advocate for safe return of crew members to their respective countries. It reads in part, “This is an illegal attack on unarmed humanitarians in international waters. We call on governments, world leaders, and international institutions to demand the safety and release of all on board and continue to monitor this situation closely.”  

The last communications from his brother, Wind, spoke of the physical beauty of the journey and their sense of a moral purpose behind the flotilla’s mission to Gaza. Reflecting on the final texts, Ben Beaver told us, “A lot of his messages were basically just talking about… being escorted by dolphins and flying fish and just… sailing on the Mediterranean, and the sunrise,” before the situation grew increasingly troubling while the vessels entered the “red zone” where previous flotilla ships were seized. 

Ben Beaver noted that Windfield’s last communications were around 7 PM Pacific Time, and after that, they were only tracking the boat’s location. “He was fully aware and accepting that they may be intercepted and they didn’t know what their treatment was going to be,” he said Beaver. Then he added, “Knowing that he’s risking his life, he still wouldn’t have changed his decision to go on this journey and do this beautiful thing.”

He went on to say, “[T]here’s been a lot of really strong support from our Native American community. “ He drew parallels between indigenous struggles and the Palestinian experience, noting that his brother felt compelled to do whatever he could to help the grassroots humanitarian mission. He expressed admiration for his brother, telling us, “When I heard that Wind was joining the flotilla, I felt that he had been preparing his entire life for that moment and there was no place on earth that he would rather be. I am so incredibly proud of him.” 

A screenshot from the video interview shows Windfield Moon Beaver aboard the Ohwayla, during an earlier phase of the humanitarian mission.

In an interview from the Ohwayla prior to being intercepted by Israeli military forces at sea, Windfield Beaver explained to Rompeviento TV that he was there to offer his help to the mission. He told the reporter, “I am a carpenter and a mechanic, and a problem solver,” saying, “I am from the United States… for many reasons, I would say primarily it is because I could not tolerate to do nothing.”  Adding that it had been increasingly difficult for him “in the past two years to watch this genocide happen.” He told them, “…We knew it was a genocide from the beginning.”

He added, “… [T]o be able to do nothing, especially as a citizen of the United States, where my government is so complicit, that when… I saw the opportunity to join this flotilla and do something tangible, like with my hands, it was no question,” he explained. He added, “I feel a lot of sadness and grief and pain, but also in hope, a struggle and persistence against such a powerful adversary, and this responsibility.” 

A screenshot during daytime shows the Ohwayla, the Veterans ship, in the top right corner, sailing forward, prior to interception and communications disruption. 

In response to the interception of the Global Samud Flotilla, several other independent flotillas and ships have launched in an effort to pick up where the world’s largest civilian flotilla in history left off. Protests in solidarity with flotilla crews have erupted in various cities around the world, including in Italy, Spain, Tunisia, Libya, New York, and France. GSF press team members urge supporters of the crew members to contact their respective government representatives, and “demand the immediate release” of each crew member. Family of Windfield Beaver also urges supporters to contact California Governor Gavin Newsom, Congressman Jared Huffman, Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla to advocate for Wind’s safety.  

According to Tariq Ra’ouf, a West Coast Media Coordinator for the GSF, it is unclear for how long civilian crew members of the humanitarian mission will be held. He told us, “Israeli media is reporting no one is going to be released until after Yom Kippur,” noting, “we don’t have any official news or updates” related to the status of those detained from international waters.

UPDATE: Waves of Resistance: North Coast Flotilla Activist is Released by Israel’s Military