'Where could she be?' Rochester family desperately searches for grandmother missing in Maui wildfires
ROCHESTER - A Rochester family is desperately searching for a grandmother who is missing in the Maui wildfires in Hawaii.
Linda Vaikeli lives in Lahaina, the tourist town on Maui. She hasn't been seen since Tuesday, August 8. That's when her husband left for an appointment on the other side of the island. When he headed home he couldn't get back into town because the roads were closed.
"I'm very worried for her just because we don't know anything," her daughter-in-law Beth McLeod told WBZ-TV from Rochester Friday. "I reached out to Linda immediately and heard nothing, so panic set in at that point for sure."
"We have her name on missing person lists," McLeod said. "I've also spoken to the Red Cross to get her information out to them because they're supposed to be going around to the different shelters to connect people with their loved ones who are missing."
McLeod said Vaikeli uses either a cane or a walker and was sleeping when her husband left three days ago.
"I'm just worried about her health. I know, she is diabetic, she does walk with a cane, if not a walker at this point. So I'm just concerned if she was able to get out. I don't know if she has medications," McLeod said. "I'm not sure what type of emergency signals went out to people because cell phone towers were down."
"We don't know what she knew, what happened with her. We don't know if she has her ID with her. We know nothing. We know that basically where she lived, their apartment complex is gone. Everything is pretty much gone."
"I just hope that someone was able to get to her, help her to evacuate," McLeod said. "The question is where - where could she be?"
McLeod said she's hopeful after seeing people send relief to Maui and knowing that people on the island look out for each other but she's still very concerned.
"That aloha spirit is strong and people are coming together but there's so much that needs to be done," said McLeod.
For more on how to help those affected by the Maui wildfires, click here.