The holiday of the Fink family from St. Veit im Innkreis in Upper Austria ended before it really started. Although dangerous fires were already blazing on Rhodes, the organizers took the foursome to the hotel, only to flee immediately afterwards. In the “Krone” they tell about their fate.
Reinhard Fink is desperate and very angry. Actually, he, his wife and their two children (9 and 13 years old) should be lying on the beach of Rhodes. Instead, they were trapped for hours at Rhodes airport. “We arrived in Rhodes on Saturday. The organizer already knew that there were forest fires on the island. Nevertheless, we were taken to the hotel in Kiotari, even though there was already a civil protection alert,” says Fink angrily. The family arrived at the hotel around 1:30 p.m.
Evacuated on arrival
“We checked in, were ready at 1.45 pm and evacuated at 2 pm,” says the man from the Innviertel region. For him and his family, however, the true odyssey began only then. From the hotel it was ten kilometers on roads and the beach to an emergency shelter. But you had to leave them around 10 p.m., you had to walk another five miles or so before buses were finally waiting. “Unbelievable scenes are happening, people were fighting for seats on the buses. The law of the strongest prevailed,” says Fink.
Luggage still in the hotel
The family had to leave their luggage behind. “We only have what we have on our bodies. Luckily we hadn’t moved to the room yet and had put away our valuables and cell phones. At least we still have that now”, Fink is looking for positive aspects.
Slept on the airport floor
The family somehow managed to get on one of the buses and they took you to Rhodes airport. “There were thousands of people there. There was chaos. We slept on the tile floor, my children were desperate, scared,” says Fink. The odyssey of the finches has now lasted more than 24 hours, but there are still a few more hours to come. “Because the tour operator TUI is said to be unable to organize return flights for its customers,” says the Upper Austrian. So he helped himself, the family will fly – if all goes well – to Brno on Sunday.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
