American tourists who had been stranded in storm-torn Cabo San Lucas began arriving in San Diego Wednesday night.
Passengers told KPBS media partner 10News they boarded flights out of Mexico not knowing where they were going until they were seated. Those who arrived at Lindbergh Field were from across United States. Most landed without any plans, cheering as they arrived on American soil.
What began as a trip to paradise for many quickly turned into a trip many are now trying to forget thanks to Hurricane Odile.
“Total chaos... it wasn't even fit for animals to be there,” traveler Peter Tachetter told 10News.
“Power outages, looting, I mean it was crazy, looked like a war zone,” traveler Chris Veitz said.
Eric Englehardt and his girlfriend were forced to ride out the Category 3 hurricane just hours after they arrived at their resort.
“We ended up in a spa on the bathroom floor with a couple blankets and pillows and slept there for the night,” said Eric Englehardt of Rancho Cucamonga.
Thousands in the state of Baja California Sur remain without electricity, water or phone service. Meanwhile, as conditions continue to improve, more flights are expected to pick up passengers in the coming days.
The Donovans, a San Diego family of five, hope to be on one of them.
“We are anxiously awaiting confirmation that the flight is going to take off, and that the kids will be safely back in the United States,” family member Fran Donovan said.
The Donovans are supposed to arrive on a flight from Cabo to Lindbergh Field Thursday afternoon. They're among the estimated 25,000 American tourists that remain stranded in Cabo.
