Spokane couple in Hawaii recalls panic after false missile alarm

SPOKANE, Wash. — A Spokane couple’s vacation to Hawaii took a terrifying turn Saturday morning when they received an emergency alert on their phones warning of an imminent ballistic missile attack.

“Our hearts just started pounding. We were just like, it was crazy,” Paul Gill said.

Paul and Brenda Gill were getting ready to start their day in Maui when their phones went off with the warning. They rushed down to the lobby, joining a large group of scarred and confused visitors.

“There was a lot of pushing and shoving. People were trying to get down the stairs to the lobby and figure out what was going on,” Gill said. “People were actually calling their loved ones. People were crying and, you know, didn’t know what to expect at all. No one had any answers for us.”

He said it took nearly an hour for them to receive another alert on their phone confirming the original attack warning was a result of human error.

“It just proves how vulnerable that you, that we are, that things can change that quick from a text message saying you’re under attack basically. It’s just very freakish,” Gill said.

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