GADDAFI

Journalist's tweets: 'I saw the body of Moamar Gaddafi'

Updated October 21, 2011 10:10:24

A journalist has revealed she chased the ambulance carrying Moamar Gaddafi's body, and saw the dictator's body in the back, describing him wearing gold pants and with a bullet wound in the chest.

Holly Pickett, a freelance photojournalist based in Cairo, sent the following series of updates on Twitter, providing an eyewitness account of events around the Libyan dictator's capture.

I saw the body of Col. Muammar Gaddafi. So weird.

I have been going to Sirte every couple of days and was with an ambulance. They turned back toward Misrata from the field hospital.

We were in a residential area behind the field hospital. Suddenly an ambulance races by with the body of Gaddafi. We chased.

INTERACTIVE: Gaddafi after his capture. Warning: Graphic content

The ambulance with Gaddafi's body stopped very briefly at the field hospital, then hit the highway for Misrata.

10 Revolutionaries were packed inside. The doors were open, but it was difficult to see Gaddafi. We drove close to the open door.

From the side door, I could see a bare chest with bullet wound and a bloody hand. He was wearing gold-colored pants.

PHOTO: Captured, then killed: Moamar Gaddafi still alive after being captured by NTC fighters (AFP: Misrata Hurra)

We fell back behind the ambulance and they opened rear the door to reveal a partly bald, bloody head with frizzy black hair.

There is no question it was Gaddafi. Every time the ambulance stopped, it was mobbed by rebels. Everyone was going nuts.

PHOTO: An NTC fighter looks through a large concrete pipe where Moamar Gaddafi was allegedly captured.(AFP: Philippe Desmazes)

When they opened the back of the ambulance, a rebel truck went crazy and ran us off the highway at high speed. We crashed in a ditch.

One of the medics in our ambulance re-injured a wound from a mortar attack a couple weeks ago. He required immediate assistance.

We decided to make straight for Misrata and overtook the ambulance with Gaddafi's body in it.

At every checkpoint between Sirte and Misrata, crowds had gathered and wanted to know if we were the ambulance with Gaddafi's body in it.

Upon hearing the truth, that Gaddafi was truly dead, revolutionaries at the checkpoints were beside themselves, shouting with joy.

PHOTO: NTC fighters hold what they claim to be Moamar Gaddafi's gold-plated pistol (Philippe Desmazes: AFP)

Crowds lined the streets in Misrata. A boy shouted in my window with a huge smile, "Where is Shafshufa (Frizzy Hair)?"

It looks like Gaddafi was taken alive. Bloody, but alive, according to a video that three people have now shown me.

All I could think when I found out they had Gaddafi was, "I am the only journalist who knows what happened. I have to get a photo."

I was a little afraid that this would turn into another undocumented rumor. That's why I chased the ambulance with Gaddafi's body.

Not sure where Gaddafi's body went. It must have been to a very secure location. I think Misratans may have torn him to shreds.

I meant Misratans would tear him to shreds if the body wasn't closely guarded.

For more, see Holly Pickett's account on Twitter.

Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, world-politics

First posted October 21, 2011 09:45:12