The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Angus couple facing anxious wait for evacuation from Cuba
Couple arrived and told not to unpack
An Angus couple are among thousands of holidaymakers awaiting evacuation from Cuba after being caught up in Hurricane Irma.
Nicole Wilson and Ryan Fleming flew into the disaster a week ago, only to be told not to unpack.
Instead, they found themselves in a fleet of buses under police escort ferrying holidaymakers away from the path of the hurricane.
Noe the 20-year-olds are awaiting news of when they will be able to return home.
Tour operator Thomas Cook is executing an evacuation plan to bring more than 2,000 customers back from Cuba and has said it will be sending additional staff to help deal with the operation.
Nicole, from Kirriemuir, and Ryan, of Forfar, were originally bound for Sol Cayo Guillermo, which sustained severe damage.
Instead, they were taken to Varadero, hundreds of kilometres north-west, but were still forced to spend a night locked in their bathroom as the storm raged around them.
Nicole’s mum, Heather said: “The main thing is that they are safe and they are fine, but it has just been a nightmare for them.”
She continued: “We lost contact with them for a while and it was just awful not knowing what was going on.
“Nicole’s heart is now breaking for the people there.
“They are so friendly and we have loved going to Cuba previously, and now she is seeing families who have been left with nothing – yet they are still wanting to do anything they can to help the holidaymakers there.
“The weather has passed and it is nice there now, but there is nothing they can do. Stuff is strewn everywhere and they say it is like a scene from a disaster movie.
“Everyone just goes down in the morning and they wait for news of what might be happening and when they will be getting home,” added Heather.
“The people there are going to take so long to recover from this and it is just terrible to see what has happened.