Nov 29, 2008 10:19 pm US/Central
Survivors of Mumbai Attack Return to Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Alyta and Ron Reicin climbed from their room in the historic heritage section of the Oberoi hotel to safety during the Mumbai attacks.
CBS
Memories of the Mumbai attacks are raw and vivid for several people from the Chicago area who were caught in the crossfire in India.
They hunkered in hotel rooms or ran for their lives. CBS 2's Pamela Jones spoke to several survivors Saturday.
One of the survivors CBS 2 talked to said she wanted to kiss the ground when she arrived at O'Hare airport. They were part of a Chicago tour group, dodging gunfire to stay alive.
The fear from the start of the Mumbai attacks is a feeling survivors share, and one they won't forget.
"We heard the gunfire. First we thought it was just fireworks," said Alyta Reicin.
"There's been pounding. And etcetera going on around, you know. Explosions going off…I don't know my explosions from grenades," said Chicagoan Judy Hevrdejas.
They didn't know where the shots were coming from, but they could see the chaos the gunfire and explosions left in their wake.
"And we look out of our windows and everybody on the street was hovering like this and taking cover. We saw three people running with guns," recalls Alyta and Ron Reicin.
"A little scary; we were sitting in the lobby of the hotel -- the pool area of the hotel. And when shots started getting fired, and somebody came running through the pool area, we raced down to an underground gym and they shoved us into a gangway area with a bunch of other people," Hevrdejas said.
"Suddenly, shooting started right beside us and everybody started pouring out of the lobby," said
Joseph and Marilyn Ernsteen of Deerfield were in the Taj Mahal as part of Tauck Tours. Ernsteen recounted how they heard blasts and gunfire outside.
At first they stayed in their room as instructed, but around 9 a.m. they decided to go against hotel instructions and leave, heading into the heavily smoke-filled hallway. Ernsteen and his wife, 66, went to the roof, then climbed down the fire escape to the ground.
Ernsteen, who retired recently from a career in banking, is a past president of Glenview's B'nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim congregation, which planned to offer a prayer of gratitude during Friday night services.
Alyta and Ron Reicin climbed from their room in the historic heritage section of the Oberoi hotel.
"I saw some fire engines and I took a flashlight out and shined like that and they saw me and they brought a hook and ladder up and broke the window and we climbed out," Ron Reicin said.
Hevrdejas shares a hug with her brother at O'Hare Saturday thankful to have escaped unharmed.
"We were one of the last groups of 10 to get out of there before they were shooting behind us. We ran four or five blocks to get on buses," Hevrdejas said
CBS 2 talked to Benjamin Markoff in their home. He paused Saturday to remember those who perished.
"The fellow that we took out for drinks because it was his anniversary was reportedly killed," Markoff said. "He was sweet...nice..."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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