A retired Devon surgeon says he is thankful he is alive after he was caught up in the confrontation between the Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza.
David Halpin, 68, was on the boat, the Dignity, heading for the area with medical supplies when the vessel was hit and retreated to the Lebanon.
His group said the vessel was rammed by an Israeli boat and was told to turn back.
But the Israeli navy said the Dignity had collided with its boat.
"It felt as if the boat was going to break apart"
He had taken the trip at short notice as a supporter of the Palestinians and to offer help as a surgeon.
The clash happened in December in international waters 45 miles (70km) off the Israeli coast.
The 20m (66ft) Dignity, which was carrying 3.5 tonnes of medical aid, was damaged in the collision and was unable to return to Cyprus, where it set off from.
Instead the vessel, with about 16 people on board, sailed to the Lebanese port of Tyre.
Mr Halpin said there was an "almighty crash" as the Dignity collided with the Israeli boat.
He said: "At one point I thought I was going to die.
"We didn't have life vests on and I thought we would go down like a stone.
"It was dark, there was a stiff wind and moderate sea.
"It felt as if the boat was going to break apart."
However, the boat stayed afloat and made its way to the Lebanese coast 150 miles away.
"I would go again tomorrow," said Mr Halpin.
Yigal Palmor, the Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the aid boat had failed to respond to radio contact.
Mr Halpin, who used to work at Torbay hospital in Torquay and the former Princess Elizabeth orthopaedic hospital in Exeter, has taken part in a number of similar aid missions before and runs the Devon-based Dove and Dolphin charity, which distributes aid to Palestinians within Gaza.
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