Six Brooklyn women safely made it to Puerto Rico after being stranded on the island of St. Martin when Hurricane Irma ravaged the area.
The group made a birthday trip down the Caribbean island, but were forced to ride out the powerful storm in a home that they said nearly caved in.
Nearly 70 percent of the St. Martin’s buildings were damaged or destroyed, and every room in a villa that Jessica Pierre’s sister and friends were staying in was devastated, except for a bathroom that the group stayed in for 19 hours.
After Irma passed, the women could have been stuck to deal with another storm, Hurricane Jose, which was due in St. Martin’s path, until their families back in Brooklyn took matters into their own hands.
Following dozens of phone calls, firefighters rescued the women on Thursday, sheltering them in a hotel lobby for two days along with hundreds of other stranded vacationers.
Then, Saturday morning, the families received the good news that all six of them were headed to Puerto Rico, the first step in the process of returning home.
"I cannot wait to hug my sister and my friends," said Jessica Pierre. "This is a trip we are going to remember and celebrate and just appreciate each other even more."