"I Didn't Even Know How to Swim... But I Had to Fall into the Sea to Survive" Hawaiian Survivor

Rescued 11 Hours After Jumping into the Sea
"Did Not Receive Help from Government or Outside"

In Hawaii, USA, where the largest wildfire damage in over 100 years has occurred, an interview with a survivor who risked their life by jumping into the sea to escape the fire has been released.

On the 13th (local time), residents embraced each other at a church in Kahului, Maui Island, Hawaii, USA. A large wildfire broke out in Hawaii on the 8th, resulting in at least 93 deaths and approximately 6 billion dollars (about 7.99 trillion won) in property damage.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the 15th (local time), the British daily newspaper The Guardian published an interview with Ana Carolina Penedo (42), one of the wildfire victims from Maui Island, Hawaii, USA, where the fire broke out on the 8th.

Penedo stated that before the fire broke out, strong winds had already hit the island, creating a tense atmosphere, but no sirens sounded when the fire started, so she only realized it was an emergency after seeing the flames and smoke.

She got into a car with her 69-year-old mother to escape Lahaina village, but the roads were paralyzed due to the flames engulfing buildings and the influx of cars, making further movement impossible. Eventually, she told her mother, "We have to jump into the sea," and they got out of the car together and headed toward the ocean.

On the 15th (local time), a car charred black was left abandoned in Lahaina on Maui Island, Hawaii, USA, after a large wildfire swept through. The death toll from the fire that broke out on Maui Island on the 8th has been counted at a minimum of 99, and Hawaii Governor Josh Green stated in an interview, "The number of deaths could double over the next 10 days."
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Her mother could not swim, but with no warnings or escape guidance, the only way to survive was to jump into the water. Penedo continuously calmed her mother, saying "We avoided the worst-case scenario," anticipating that her mother might faint or go into shock. She recalled, "I went through hell with my mother."

It was only after 11 hours in the sea that the U.S. Coast Guard and firefighters appeared, and they were transported to a shelter. Even after a week, Penedo said she had not received any help from the government or external sources. She added, "Only private organizations and friends are helping each other."

Meanwhile, according to CNN in the U.S., the death toll from this wildfire has been counted at 101. Since only about 32% of the affected area has been searched so far, the number of deaths is expected to continue rising for the time being. The U.S. police expect search operations to be completed in 85-90% of the area by the coming weekend.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.