Hudson Valley couple stuck overseas in Dubai as Iranian strikes disrupt travel in the region
The Jefferson Valley couple says their cruise was canceled several days ago, and they’ve been unable to reach their airline or the State Department as they try to get home.
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A Hudson Valley couple says their dream vacation overseas quickly turned into a frightening ordeal as Iranian missile and drone strikes disrupted travel across the Middle East.
Elisse and Dave Dodge, of Jefferson Valley, spoke with News 12 from their hotel room in Dubai, where they say they are now stuck and hoping their scheduled flight back to New York this weekend will take off.
The couple traveled to the region late last month and spent their first days sightseeing before boarding the MSC Euribia cruise ship, which was supposed to be the next leg of their trip.
But they say almost immediately after boarding, plans began to unravel.
“Almost as soon as we got on, they started talking about bombings and closures and they were going to cancel some ports,” said Elisse Dodge. “From there it just went downhill completely.”
The couple says ports were canceled and the entire cruise was eventually called off as tensions escalated across the region.
Passengers were given the option to remain on the ship while it stayed in port, but the Dodges say they decided to leave and check into a hotel instead.
They say they began receiving emergency alerts on their phones warning people to shelter in place and heard sirens, jets overhead and loud booms in the distance.
The couple also shared photos with News 12 showing white streaks in the sky they believe were from missiles or fighter jets during the military activity.
A source told CNN earlier this week that the grounds of the U.S. Consulate in Dubai were struck by a suspected Iranian drone.
During the initial wave of attacks, Dubai International Airport temporarily shut down. Reports say debris from interceptions caused limited damage and injured several airport workers before operations gradually resumed.
The Dodges say the uncertainty has made it difficult to plan how to get home.
Elisse Dodge, 56, who works in real estate, and Dave Dodge, 62, a former home inspector who now runs an online home inspector training school, say they have been documenting their experience - and their efforts to get home -on social media.
Dave Dodge, who uses a walker and a wheelchair because of a physical disability, says the situation has been especially challenging.
The couple, who have been together more than two decades and share a blended family with four adult children and four young grandchildren, say they have tried contacting the U.S. State Department and filled out emergency assistance forms online but have not received a response.
“The first time I called I was on hold a couple hours and then they just disconnected me,” said Elisse Dodge. “After that, every time I’ve tried to call they say they can’t even keep you on hold and to call back later.”
They say they have also been unable to reach anyone with Emirates airline to confirm whether they can leave earlier or if their scheduled flight will depart as planned, and they have been unable to book an earlier flight out of the country.
The couple says they even walked to an Emirates airline office in Dubai on Friday looking for help, but found a sign on the door saying the office was closed and directing customers to contact the airline through its website.
For now, the couple says they are waiting and hoping their scheduled Emirates flight from Dubai to John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday will take off. They plan to head to the airport to try to board that flight.
In a statement to News 12, an Emirates spokesperson said the airline is operating a reduced flight schedule following the partial reopening of regional airspace and expects to return to full operations in the coming days, depending on airspace availability.
“It’s just nerve-racking. It’s scary,” said Elisse Dodge.
They also say they contacted Rep. Mike Lawler’s office directly but had not heard back.
News 12 reached out to Lawler’s office, which says it is now in contact with the couple and working to assist them.
