P.E.I. woman desperate to help family flee St. Maarten after hurricane

A woman from Souris, P.E.I., is trying to help her family flee St. Maarten after they became trapped during Hurricane Irma while on holiday.

Sylver MacDonaldsaid she's been monitoring hercomputer constantly, tracking the progress of the hurricanes raging through the Caribbean.

"I've basically just been refreshing pages, calling everyone," saidMacDonald."No one down there seems to really know what's going on."

• Atlantic Canadians seek info for relatives stranded by Irma

MacDonald'sparents and aunt and uncle stayed at a resort as a hurricane pummeled St. Maarten.

Their week-long vacation should be coming to an end buttheir flights home have been cancelled.

'I don't know where to go from here'

MacDonald has reached out to several airlines to try but said all the flights are booked.

She said she's been trying to distract herself because there isn't anything she can do to help the situation.

"I don't know where to go from here," she said. "It's been pretty stressful. I have ups and downs."

All phone service is down at the resort where her family is staying.

MacDonald has been able to touch base with her family because of abackup generator at the resort that gives sporadic Internet access.

"They keep telling me that they feel very safe, thatthey've got food, they've got water," she said."I think that they're just getting tired and want to come home."

• 'Heartbreaking': 2 people with Island connection preparing for Hurricane Irma

If the backup generator at the resort dies, there will be no way for MacDonald to contact the group.

"At this point they feel safest where they are but if the generator runs out ofgas and they start losing connection they said after [Hurricane] Jose goes by, they may have to look into just going to the airport to see what's going on," she said.

For now, MacDonald said it's a waiting game.

"I'm confident that they'regoing to be OK. I'm just worried about when I'll get to see them again."

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