Matt and Tilly were out of the room, I was getting myles to sleep and realised there was a power cut. Everything then happened so quickly.
The fire was at the front door and we were still told to relax and enjoy our holiday. Not by a rep, by reception. Then all of a sudden it was just air raid sirens, the army shouting run to the sea..
We ran to the beach, dragging our cases and the kids. The smoke was thick, black and the heat was immense. We left the cases after a few steps and the baby's pram. I knew the sea was the goal, to swim? We contemplated a dinghy. Out of the smoke, a boat turned up, one they use for those cute boat trips. I had push Tilly through the bars on this boat and then Myles. We just wanted our babies to get to safety. They let me on but were shouting women and children only at first. Waiting for Matt nearly tipped me over the edge. We couldn't breathe, we had towels over our mouths, myles kept shutting his eyes and going floppy but the smoke was black, tillys screaming I don't want to die. I remember a lady shouting life vests are under the seats!!!! We grabbed them but then the guys on the boat went mad shouting this is not safe in a fire!!!! Those men actually saved our lives.
The boat took us through the thickest part of the smoke to lardos which was clearer and they said we were safe. Heat was 43. We sat for a few mins thinking we were safe but then the sirens started again, the helicopters were back and the fire was literally coming over the hill towards us like some fucking sea creature, I've not seen anything like it. We had to run. My baby was still not right. A bus stopped and we hitch hiked a lift to lindos but the bus first had to go into the thick of the fire to fill up from a hotel. Lindos.. slight relief! We were in contact with our private taxi guy who said when the police let him through, he'd be there for us. He left me a voice note saying Lindos is completely safe because of the high rocks but that has since been evacuated. We got a lift to faliraki and then on to rhodos. Finally got a taxi to the airport, the driver tried desperately to find us a hotel for a few hours to charge our phones and get the kids some sleep. We felt safer in Rhodos but there was then a power cut... nope we wanted out. He took us straight to the airport. We managed to switch our flight and we landed in Manchester at 7am this morning.
People are traumatised. A woman was pushing her mum in a wheelchair. They'd lost her dad's ashes which they'd taken to Rhodes to scatter. Another girl had family unable to get on the boats and phones weren't charged so no idea if they were safe.
Absolutely no words. No pram, no clothes, chargers, money etc. Luckily we grabbed passports so they were in our pockets. The kids had no food and hardly anything to drink in that heat until the airport.
Jet2 did absolutely nothing for us and I still haven't heard from them. If matt wouldn't have been able to get on that boat, I dont reckon we'd be here now. The media are not reporting on that properly, people are dead, the fires are all meeting up and merging now. It's so terrifying. Jet2 just called me now, at 12pm the day after the event. I said call the people still there but we'd be in touch.. 😡
The people of Rhodes are the heroes here. The boat guys, the guy handing out towels on the beach to protect my babies from the smoke, the free cold drinks when we got off the boat, the bus that stopped in Lardos, the taxi driver in Rhodos, Chris - our amazing taxi driver from the previous night, his local knowledge and reassuring voice notes were a game changer.
To the people of Rhodes - stay safe. Your beautiful island is burning. I hope help arrives soon.. ❤️
This was shared on FB earlier today.
You couldn't pay me to go to Rhodes right now.