SOUTHLAKE, Texas — Last week, Southlake couple Sharon and Greg Bowdish were in Israel for the bucket list trip they planned for four years: the Holy Land of Israel.
Halfway through their trip, circumstances quickly changed.
“We woke up Saturday morning to the sirens and having no clue what that meant at first,” Sharon said.
Suddenly, their dream trip evolved into a dangerous situation as the Israel-Hamas conflict escalated.
“It was like out of a movie,” Greg said. “In the moment, you just don’t think it’s real.”
The couple rushed to the airport and learned their flight back to the U.S. was cancelled. As they returned to a hotel, they captured the moment they were face down on a highway as the sound of missiles and explosives surrounded them.
“I was having a panic attack worried about, ‘How are we gonna get out of here? Will we make it home?’” Sharon said.
The couple considers themselves blessed for finding another flight. The couple returned to the U.S. safely on Tuesday.
“We’re blessed to be home, but almost sad and guilty that we left everyone behind,” Sharon said.
The Bowdish family is unsure if other couples they met during their trip are still stuck in Israel, they haven’t been able to get in touch. They worry for their tour guide who lives in Tel Aviv.
Sharon told WFAA she has been unable to stop thinking about the images of women and children being killed and captured.
“We were able to get out, we get to live for tomorrow,” Sharon said. “But it breaks my heart that they’re experiencing this, and we don’t know when it’s gonna stop."