Pittsburghers describe harrowing escape from Israel, desperation to stay alive
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Two Pittsburgh residents are back home after escaping Israel as the war began.
Shelley Smith and Stephanie Barra-Vecchio are happy to be home.
"Each step, again, was terrifying," Barra-Vecchio said. "You think we're good, we got here. And the the next thing you think is this is where we are going to die."
The two are members of the Prince of Peace Church in Hopewell and were on a religious pilgrimage in Israel when the war between Hamas and Israel erupted.
"Just going to visit sites, learn more about God and walk where Jesus walked," Smith said.
Both women ended up learning about war, up close and personal.
"We constantly heard it going off, booms, booms, booms," Barra-Vecchio said. "We were at one of the sites, and we heard skirmishes and gunfire before we knew anything happened."
That began a desperate attempt to get out of Israel alive. Given the circumstances, it was much easier said than done.
"We were stuck. We were absolutely stuck," Barra-Vecchio said. "You couldn't catch an Uber to the Jordan border. It wasn't possible. There wasn't transportation."
That's when they got word that Florida Congressperson Cory Mills, through the Never Forgotten Foundation, would try to get them.
Accompanied by a group of former special operations troops, Mills managed to get Smith, Barra-Vecchio and their tour group to Jordan and then off to Ammon.
"When we went to the Jordan border, there were six or seven minivans and transpiration that he had taken care of," Barra-Vecchio said.
Smith and Barra-Vecchio say they're getting used to being back home. But they made it clear despite the fear desperation and violence they witnessed, they would return to the Holy Land and finish their interrupted tour.
"We left a little piece of our hearts over in Israel," Barra-Vecchio said.