By Sherry Larson
People’s Defender
A trip to Hawaii – one of the most beautiful places to vacation and especially honeymoon in the United States – often has travelers on the edge of their seats awaiting their arrival in paradise.
The Campbell family of West Union looked forward to their trip as well. Carla and Craig Campbell had spent their honeymoon in Oahu and Maui and were excited to take their son Conner, his wife Jolie, and their youngest son Cameron to visit the island of their dreams. They spent their first four days on the Island of Oahu before flying to Maui.
The first morning in Maui, the Campbells arose to take the Road to Hana tour. Carla shared that the power in the resort was out when they left, but they didn’t think anything of it because there had been some high winds. Wearing nothing but their bathing suits, the Campbells decided not to take anything with them because they would be coming back to the resort at the end of the day.
The Campbells and two other families were enjoying the tour. Carla said, “We didn’t know anything. On the way up there, we saw a fire up on the hill, and the tour guide said, ‘Look at that fire,” we just thought it was a brushfire.” On the way back, the wind was furious, and powerlines were down everywhere. One of the other tourists kept getting alerts on her phone telling folks to evacuate the area. She told the driver she didn’t think he should continue driving in, but he kept going. Another couple told the guide they did not want him to keep moving in that direction, so he turned around in the middle of the road.
The tour guide asked the Campbells where they wanted to go, and they said the airport. Carla wasn’t sure where else they could go, so he dropped them off, hoping they could get a flight out. The Aston Kaanapali, where the Campbells stayed, was about three miles from Lahaina. All their belongings remained at the resort.
Although the Campbells didn’t witness much of the fires and devastation, the historic town of Lahaina was destroyed by fires starting between August 7 and 8. The wildfire is reported to be the deadliest in the U.S. over the last 100 years. One hundred fourteen are dead, and over 1,000 people are still reported missing. CBS.com called the cause “fire weather,” a mix of land and atmosphere conditions. The known cause has not yet been identified, but NBC.com said some claim it was due to the high winds and downed power lines.
Once dropped off at the airport, they spent the night in an uncomfortable terminal. They rented a car the next day because their first rental car was still at the resort. That night, they stayed in the new rental car. And to add insult to injury, it was Carla’s 50th birthday. She said, “I spent my 50th birthday in the Walmart parking lot sleeping in a rental car.”
The family had spent three days in their bathing suits. Connor and his wife Jolie were able to get a flight back home on Friday. He ended up being interviewed on the WLWT 5 nightly news. The three remaining Campbells stayed behind another day, hoping they could retrieve their belongings, but their attempt was in vain. Thankfully, a friend whose son lives in Maui reached out to the Campbells, and they were able to take a shower at his church.
Carla said she was scared when the tour guide wouldn’t turn around. She said, “He was driving over those powerlines, and the wind was awful.” Also, the uncertainty at the airport and not knowing when or how they were going to get out was cause for some anxiety.
Carla has been working with the resort and FedEx to have their belongings shipped back to them. The return comes with a significant price tag. They hope their vacation insurance handles some or all the costs associated with the quick trip home.
Maui was Carla’s favorite island when she and Craig visited Hawaii on their honeymoon. She was eager to share the island experience with her children. Carla, especially, wanted to take The Road to Hana since she and Craig didn’t have a chance to do so. She’s disheartened that her kids didn’t get to see the beauty of Maui or have the fond memories she sees in her mind’s eye.
Carla asked that everyone continue to pray for the people in Maui. She said, “It’s just unreal that we experienced that. At the time, we were in survival mode.”
Thankfully the Campbells are safely back in Adams County and awaiting the arrival of their things. We hope you get to properly celebrate your 50th Birthday, Carla – we are glad you and your family are home.