Osgood couple ride out Hurricane Wilma
Cancun honeymoon turns into nightmare
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

Little did an Osgood couple know that their wedding vows of "for better or worse" would be tested severely in just a few short days following their October 15, wedding.

Jon and Trisha (Huff) French, tied the knot and headed out for the honeymoon of their dreams - something they had been planning for months. They booked their trip through Carousel Travel from Batesville with an Apple Vacation travel agent. Their dream trip to Cancun, Mexico, quickly turned disastrous when Hurricane Wilma made her debut.

The couple flew out on a Monday, two days after their wedding. "We watched the news at the Cincinnati airport, with only the possibility of a tropical storm headed for Cancun," noted Jon, as the two began reliving their journey.

They arrived at their destination to a cloudless sky and beautiful beaches. The couple enjoyed two days of sunshine and then on Wednesday, something happened that greatly concerned them. The couple noted that Canadian officials came to the hotel where they were and took all "their people" out. "We immediately inquired as to why and were told they were evacuating the Canadians before the hurricane hit," the Frenches shared. "When we asked about leaving, we were told there were no flights out." Trisha noted that they "tried not to think about it and went back out to the pool."

By Wednesday the ocean was getting higher, according to the couple, but there was no wind. "It was really calm," noted Jon. That calm turned quickly to a raging storm that the newlyweds would remember for a lifetime. By Thursday, October 20, their dream honeymoon was over and they were quickly being shuttled to a shelter, with the announcement their hotel, The Golden Crown Paradise, was being evacuated.

The Frenches were taken to the University of Cancun with nearly 200 others to weather the storm. On Thursday, they noted the sun was still shining and there was no wind, but the ocean was very rough. They said the hotel staff remained very calm. They were able to use their cellular phone to call home where they found frantic parents wanting their children home.

"I just went spastic," noted Rebecca Beesley of Brookville, Jon's mother. "When you hear your child's voice and he's asking you to help him, it just does something to you," she admitted, saying she immediately swung into action, calling anyone who would listen. The problem was she did call and some people did listen, but no one took action.

"I called the American Embassy in Washington, where the American Consulate basically told me there was nothing that could be done. I was told they (Jon and Trisha) were just stuck there and would be out by that Friday night." That wasn't good enough for Beesley, who then called the American Red Cross, State Police, Mexican government authorities, the Mexican equivalent to the American Red Cross, and finally a personal friend who owns an airplane.

Although now she admits all of her calling was in vain, Beesley said it kept her busy and she felt at the time she was helping in some way. She had lost contact with the children at this point because all communication service was broken down. She was also in contact with Jon's father, Steve, his wife, and Trisha's parents, Tom and Trina Huff.

Beesley noted that when she did get through to Mexican officials by hiring a translator, she was told "priorities were on the Mexican people, not the tourists." She said one official told her she should feel better since there had been no reports of death or injury.

Friday night the hurricane roared into Cancun bringing massive amounts of rainfall and winds up to 180 miles per hour. The storm lasted about 52 hours according to the Osgood couple, who were in the midst of it. "When the hurricane hit, water started coming in where we were staying," noted Trisha. She said those staying there kept busy soaking up the water with towels and squeegeeing up the mess as best they could. "We just couldn't squeegee the water fast enough," she noted, adding, "the toilets overflowed and sewage was everywhere, it was just a mess. The water was over the hood of a truck."

There in the shelter the couple was thankful for some food and water, mostly ham and cheese sandwiches and bottled water. "Some shelters didn't have any food or water," they shared. They also told how the local people were getting frustrated because the tourists were getting food and water and they were not. They admitted they were a little afraid and stayed close or inside the shelter.

Trisha and Jon said there was little to do at the shelter, but when they did get a break from bailing water out, they played some bingo games and cards provided by the hotel staff.

For a week, Trisha and Jon stayed at the shelter, trying everything they could to get a flight out of there. They shared their ups and downs of being told one thing and then that would fall through. After not showering for a week and living in deplorable conditions, they were able to get a flight out through the help of a local, Carlos. "He really helped us the most," noted Trisha, who felt they would still be there if it wasn't for him. As of last Thursday, October 27, CNN reported there were 12,000 tourists still stranded. "We're very glad we're not one of them," the couple agreed.

The Frenches were disappointed in the travel agency and their lack of response and their government, who they felt did nothing to help Americans stuck in a bad situation. However, the couple chose to find the good in a bad situation. They bonded with other couple who were honeymooning as well, and found out they could take care of themselves, even in a foreign country.

"When the plane actually lifted, I began to cry tears of relief," noted Trisha as she told of the ordeal they went through to get a boarding pass and even be able to get a flight. And when the couple arrived in Atlanta, GA, they were thankful to be home, in the United States, even if they weren't in Osgood just yet.

Finally they arrived home late Wednesday night, October 27, with only two days of fun in the sun, and the rest a story they will be telling for generations to come. They were weary from the ordeal and said they were in bad need of a shower, since they hadn't had one in a week. When they went to the shelter, they had only taken an overnight bag (as they were instructed) between the two of them with limited items.

Just a working couple, the high school sweethearts felt certain after talking to various agencies that none of their money would be refunded. They did have a bright spot when Cingular - their cell phone provider - told them they would adjust their $400 bill. "Our phone was the only one that would get out while we were at the shelter," noted Jon. While the batteries ran down and eventually they had no communication, they initially used the phone and shared it with others so they could call their families. After Saturday, two days after going to the shelter, they had no communication whatsoever for the remainder of the trip.

Trisha, who is 20, and her husband, Jon, who is just 21, had made more decisions than many married couples make in a lifetime in just a few short days. While they had never been out of the country before, and Trisha never further than Tennessee, they feel they handled themselves pretty well. Will they ever go back? They plan to attend a reunion party in 2007 at the hotel in Cancun. Ms. Beesley on the other hand wasn't sure she was crazy about them ever leaving again.

Life will go on and they were preparing to go back to jobs this week. Trisha is employed with Margaret Mary Community Hospital in registration. Jon will return to his job with Paul H. Rohe Co.

While their honeymoon experience is nothing like they had planned, they both admit it will be something they will never forget.

WANDA ENGLISH BURNETT PHOTO

Trisha and Jon French of Osgood, are seated in their snug home in Osgood. However, they just went through a horrific experience they hope to never repeat. They were on their honeymoon in Cancun, Mexico when Hurricane Wilma roared through. The couple, who are high school sweethearts, both graduated from Jac-Cen-Del High School.