On December 30, 2006 David (also known as NY) was injured when a car bomb exploded at the airport in Madrid, Spain. The following is what happened in his words. It’s an email he sent to family and friends describing the Madrid terrorist bombing a few days after we arrived back home.
Now it’s me, Cathi, for the rest of this post.
The driver of the hotel van I was on had been told by police to vacate the terminal area immediately. We had no sooner turned the corner at the end of the parking structure when the explosion rattled our ears and shook the bus. This was a bad day. I wasn’t familiar with the other people on the bus because David didn’t fly with them on a regular basis. When the bomb exploded, I saw everything in my life go up in smoke. I screamed and screamed and screamed. This day ranks right down there with the day the coroner came to my house to tell me my daughter had died in an auto accident. I don’t think anyone on the bus knew what to do with me. Eventually I was able to make contact with David via text messaging on my cell phone. After I knew David was alive and moving away from the explosion, I phoned our son Brian in California. I was able to speak with my daughter-in-law Mindi who asked to speak with David because she couldn’t understand anything I was saying. That request set me off the deep end a bit more so the third officer (pilot) from our flight took my phone and proceeded to explain to Mindi what had happened. Mindi was able to speak with me and with David, but David and I weren’t able to talk to each other. The airport exit was blocked for several hours before we were able to leave the grounds for the hotel. Once I was in my room and waiting for David, I sat and tried to understand what the television was broadcasting about the bombing. Most of the news was about the execution of Saddam Hussein which had occurred a few hours before we had landed. The bomb was not the top news story which was surprising to me and very frightening.
It was still several hours before David was able to leave the airport. Thankfully he and his colleagues were able to wait in the airline operation offices after spending so much time on the tarmac. There he was able to phone me at the hotel via Miami airport personnel. I won’t go into the emotions we felt when we were finally able to talk after being separated for such an intense period of time. Mindi had been able to comfort me and keep be somewhat grounded with her voice on the phone, but hearing David’s voice was something I absolutely needed.
These are the very doors that David and his fellow crew members were standing in front of at the time of the explosion. They had just taken a few steps back from the doors because they had been standing so close that the automatic doors were opening and closing.
The explosion leveled an enormous section of the multi story concrete parking structure about the size of four football fields or more.I took this photo to show our boys Brian and Todd. All I could think of when I saw these itty bitty police cars was…they’d never catch me in my Cadillac!!
This experience solidified the safety and security I feel being blessed to live in America. I learned that some of the people living in many other countries have become somewhat complacent to terrorist bombings. It’s something that happens so often in their lives that they are able to carry on without giving it much thought. I just don’t think it would have been the same if this had happened in Miami, Los Angeles or New York.
kailani says
What an amazing story! And you both lived to tell the tale! Your guardian angel was definitely looking out for you on that faithful day. I’m so glad you were all ok.
In this post 9/11 world, it’s kind of amazing to see all those people standing on the tarmac!
Shauna says
Hooray… I win… and I actually did not blab…. mmmm…hard for me to do…. When are you coming for lunch?