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Two young women left stranded in the path of the devastating Hurricane Irma say they were told by holiday reps to weather the storm by “hiding in the bathroom”.
Sophie Collins, 22, was on a trip of a lifetime with friend Eleanor Reid, also 22, in the Dominican Republic.
But, days before they were due to return, they say they have been left alone to barricade themselves in their hotel bathroom in an attempt to avoid the devastating hurricane.
Their story emerged as the storm, believed to be the biggest in the Atlantic in years, hit a number of overseas British territories and tourists hotspots – sparking fears that thousands of Brits could be caught up in the destruction.
One London tourist Alex Woolfall, who was on St Martin, tweeted from his hotel yesterday: “May be my last tweet as power out and noise now apocalyptic.”
Hurricane Irma – In pictures
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Cars piled on top of one another in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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Destroyed palm trees, outside the “Mercure” hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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Damaged vehicles are seen following Hurricane Irma hitting Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin
Reuters
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A car turned onto its side in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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General view of damage following Hurricane Irma hitting Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin
Reuters
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Ships wrecked ashore, in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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Damage outside “Le flamboyant” hotel and resort in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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Devastation in Philipsburg, Saint Martin
AFP/Getty Images
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More damage in Saint Martin
AFP/Getty Images
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Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin
Splash News
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Satellite image shows Huricane Irma at 12:30 UK time. Irma cut a swathe of deadly destruction as it roared through the Caribbean, claiming at least nine lives and turning the tropical islands of St. Martin and Barbuda into mountains of rubble. One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, Irma churned westward off the northern coast of Puerto Rico early Thursday on a potential collision course with south Florida
AFP/Getty Images
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Pleasure craft lie crammed against the shore in Paraquita Bay, British Virgin Islands
Reuters
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A street in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy in the Caribbean
AFP/Getty Images
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Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands
Rex
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Damage caused by Hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands
Rex
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Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands
Rex
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Hurricane Irma evacuating traffic streaming out of Florida creeps along northbound Interstate 75 after a vehicle accident in Lake Park, Georgia, USA
epa
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Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin
Splash News
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iew of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin
Reuters
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Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin
Splash News
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Barbuda
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Members of the civil defence in Fajardo, Puerto Rico
Reuters
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A destroyed building in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy
AFP/Getty Images
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Saint Martin
AFP/Getty Images
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Barbuda
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Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency check a flooded car in Fajardo, Puerto Rico
AP
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Flooded houses in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy
AFP/Getty Images
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People pick up debris in Fajardo, Puerto Rico
Reuters
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Barbuda
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A flooded street on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin, after high winds from Hurricane Irma hit the island
AFP/Getty Images
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Barbuda
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Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday. Jose strengthened into a category 1 hurricane, as Irma, a category 5 hurricane continues to move through the Caribbean, battering Barbuda, St. Martin and Puerto Rico
EPA
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The destruction at Sir Richard Branson’s island of Necker
Sir Richard Branson
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Saint Martin
AFP/Getty Images
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A woman pushes out floodwaters on her property in St John’s
AP
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Florida residents fleeing from the expected path of Irma
EPA
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Cars left flooded in Saint Martin
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Saint Martin is suffering catastrophic flooding
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Hurricane Irma hitting Saint Martin
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Some of the devastation left behind at Saint Martin
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Hurricane Irma hits Saint Martin
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Floodwaters run down a street in Saint Martin
Carole Greaux
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Saint Martin
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Residents in St Petersburg, Florida, carry sandbags ahead of Hurricane Irma
AP
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A satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 11AM UK time slamming into the French Caribbean islands. Countries can be seen outlined on the image
AFP/Getty Images
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A view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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Employees load plywood for customers in preparation for Hurricane Irma at Lowe’s in Jacksonville, Florida
AP
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Shoppers in Florida ransacked a supermarket as they prepared for Hurricane Irma
Getty Images
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Shoppers at Costco waited up to eight hours for water and essentials in preparation for Hurricane Irma in North Miami
AFP/Getty Images
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Policemen talk to customers at a Costco shop in North Miami as mineral water is sold out and people shop ahead of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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Members of the Civil Defense prepare their gear ahead of Hurricane Irma, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Reuters
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Cars wait in line at a petrol station in North Miami as people shop ahead of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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People put boards on their windows in Saint Martin
AFP/Getty Images
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Residents and municipal employees work together to fill sandbags at Bartlett Park as residents in the area gather supplies and prepare ahead of Hurricane Irma in St. Petersburg, Florida
Getty Images
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A shelf normally containing packaged water is empty at a Piggly Wiggly store in Panama City, Florida
AP
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People load up their cars with sandbags in St Petersburg as the storm approaches
AP
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A thermal image of Harricane Irma
NOAA
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Men in Puerto Rico board up their homes as Hurricane Irma heads for Caribbean
EPA
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Satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 10.45am UK time followed by Tropical Storm Jose
AFP/Getty Images
The family of Afiya, 27, who is six months pregnant, and Asha Frank, 29, are concerned for their safety and are desperately trying to get hold of them after power lines cut out.
Ilford-born Miss Collins, who is on holiday celebrating her graduation from Bournemouth Arts University, is hiding on the second floor of the Gran Ventana Beach Resort on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic.
Her mother, Lisa Trutwein, said coaches had arrived yesterday to collect the US and German tourist but that travel company Thomson told Miss Collins there were no planes available for British holidaymakers.
“I spoke to her and she is crying, petrified, hiding in the bath under a mattress,” Ms Trutwein told the Standard.
“She said she can hear the building creaking and said the sky had gone black. I could hear the winds from down the phone.
“I don’t know why they were not evacuated – it is just the British who were left there and they were told to take cover in the bathrooms. Thomson should be ashamed, they have had days to prepare for this.”
Ms Trutwein said her daughter says she asked why they could not be moved to a resort further in-land for safety ans the rep said they “would be leaving the resort at their own risk”.
“But the rep has gone inland to be with her family and left them there with only the hotel staff to help,” she said.
A Thomson spokeswoman told the Standard the company had been advised not to travel cross-country due to the storm. She added: “It is true that the rep did not stay at the hotel but that is because she has two young children.”
“The rep has spoken to the girls and they are okay. They have been told to stay in their rooms and they have had food delivered,” she said.
“The people who were collected yesterday would have been people who were already scheduled to leave – there has been no evacuation and the reason they could not be moved to a different resort is because we have been told not to ravel on the roads and we have to refer to the advice given by local authorities.”
Ms Trutwein said she had tried ringing the Thomson emergency number but had been told to look online for information and “pray for your daughter’s safe return”.
“I can’t breath, I have not slept,” she said. “I have just been reading and watching the coverage of how the hurricane devastated Barbuda – that place has been left uninhabitable now, it was completely flattened.”
According to Miss Collins, there were also families with young children staying at the resort.
The storm, which has reached wind speeds of 180mph, today hit Turks and Caicos today as well as the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas.
The UK Government said Irma inflicted “severe and in places critical” damage to Anguilla, which Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan said took the full force of the hurricane. He told MPs that the British Virgin islands have also suffered “severe damage”.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in a statement: “I spoke last night to the Chief Minister of Anguilla, and offered our condolences for the loss of life and the damage that has been sustained in his country.
“Of course we’ve been in continual contact with those in the British Virgin Islands. I want to stress that this has been a very, very severe hurricane but we are responding with all the means at our disposal.”
A British naval ship has been deployed to help deal with the aftermath with 40 Royal Marines on board, as well as Army engineers and equipment, as authorities struggle to get aid to smaller islands.
A Thomson statement said: “The health and safety of our customers, crew and destination teams is our primary focus. Our experienced team of international reps in resort are supporting our customers in their hotels and we would advise that all customers in the destinations closely follow instructions from our teams and the hotel management at all times.
“Should customers in resort have any questions, they can speak to their holiday rep in the hotel or call us on our 24/7 holidayline on +44 3333 365 147 (or +353 1 5133401 for Irish customers).”
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