Sister City Committee Members return or are on the way home from Mexico
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) Three of the six members of the Santa Barbara / Puerto Vallarta Sister City Committee including Gil Garcia and Marti Correa de Garcia arrived home to Santa Barbara on Wednesday.
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 six 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 their 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 know we thank Sister City for all the equipment you have given us and all the training you have given us."
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.
"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.
Three remaining at a hotel by the airport will catch flights out on Thursday and Friday.
They hope to debrief together once they are all home.
Your News Channel will share their story tonight on the news.
