MISSOULA, MT — A Missoula man who had just completed a fly fishing trip to the Seychelles Islands found himself stranded in Dubai amid escalating conflict in the Middle East, while his family back home waits anxiously for his return.
Stephen Simpson had been making his way home when his flight was grounded after the US and Israel bombed Iran, closing regional airspace.
"Everything was smooth as could be. We loaded the plane, then we kind of sat there for a while. They said we're slightly delayed, and then eventually the pilot comes over the intercom and tells us that the US and Israel just bombed Iran and airspace was closed," Simpson said.
His wife, Kailee Simpson, learned about the danger her husband was in through social media and checking his location.
"I actually saw on TikTok that the Dubai airport was struck and saw that he was currently in the airport, so I called him right away and he picked up," Kailee said.
After stepping off the plane, Stephen learned that a drone had struck a nearby terminal — the same terminal where he and a friend had been sleeping just hours before.
"It was less than a football field from where we were sleeping when it hit. It was a really scary situation," Simpson said.
Despite a language barrier, the two booked a hotel inside the airport, but were evacuated after waking up to a fire alarm.
"I opened the door and looked down the hallway, and that's when it hit me. You could see the look of panic and fear in all the people's faces," Simpson said.
The evacuation was chaotic, with frightened guests racing to get out amid the smell of smoke.
"Finally we kind of merged with the herd, but this whole time we have alarms going off. As we were making our way out, you could smell the fire and things burning, and we knew at that point something was wrong," Simpson said.
Unsure of where to go, the two took cover behind a vending machine until airport staff found them.
"Luckily, a few hours into this ordeal, two just absolutely wonderful staff members came to us and I'll never forget, they looked at us and said, 'Thank God we found you.' I think we were the last people to leave the airport," Simpson said.
Airport staff helped them onto a bus and into a hotel, with the UAE covering their stay. But the tension has not let up.
"Every morning we're seeing missiles and drones being intercepted. You can hear the booms. There are fighter jets constantly scrambling over, and every morning we've been here since Sunday, we've been hearing something in the sky," Simpson said.
Back in Missoula, his family is holding on to hope.
"We're staying hopeful, and just the fact that he is safe brings some peace of mind," Kailee said.
Kailee said the family remains uncertain about when Stephen will make it home, but have received support from Senator Steve Daines office.
"We were unsure of when he was going to make it home, and still are unsure," she said.
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