Sister City Committee Members no longer stranded in Mexico

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) Some of the members of the Santa Barbara / Puerto Vallarta Sister City Committee who were stranded in Mexico due to cartel violence are now home.

Gil Garcia and Marti Correa de Garcia returned to their Santa Barbara home on Wednesday afternoon.

They wouldn't be home without the help of firefighters who made sure their three and half hour journey to the airport was safe.

Committee member and former Santa Barbara City Council Member Gil Garcia said the Rotary Club and the International Firefighter Training Association work with their sister city programs.

That friendship made them act like family.

When they heard about 6 committee members stranded, following six days a the El Grullo Health Spa, they reached out to help.

"I want people to know there is a wonderful health spa to go to and we went to that and we were having a great time and then suddenly on Sunday the day we were going to leave violence exploded all over the highways, burning cars and destruction and there was a major battle between the Mexican government infantry and the cartel," said Garcia,"

Garcia said the Fire Chief in Tuxpan, Jalisco arranged for an ambulance from Tonya to give the 6 of them a ride to the city of San Gabriel and from there, they took a van to a hotel in Guadalajara near the airport .

"Sister City helps a lot of with training and equipment for firefighters in that whole area so a lot of the firefighters knew we were there and they were look throughout the whole city at all the routes to get back to the airport and found one that was available very quickly," said Garcia.

They even brought a fire pick-up truck Sister City had donated.

"They put us in official looking cars, an ambulance, we went to one city and they got a civil protection van and another fire Suburban and they got us to Guadalajara," said Garcia.

It was a three and half hour journey and they refused to take money and said the government picked up the tab.

"When I tried to thank them as a matter of fact for doing this they said, 'Oh no, we thank Sister City for all the equipment you have given us and all the training you have given us," said Garcia.

He joked to a friend that maybe they should do it all again.

"Happy to be back feeling relieved, happy to back and out of the center of violence right in that little town the whole region is kind of controlled by that cartel," said Garcia.

Marti de Garcia was in charge of the travel plans going to the spa where they both felt young.

She said her husband lost more than ten pounds by eating right. She said the spa results told her she was like a 27-year-old.

"We are safe, we are happy and tired, but that is not going to stop us from going back to Mexico, it is where are roots are from, both Gil and I," said Correa de Garcia.

Space wasn't available on the plane for all of them on Wednesday.

Those remaining at a hotel ten minutes from the airport plan to catch flights out on Thursday or Friday.

They hope to debrief together once they are all home.