Woman 'broke down' after first victim of Hawaii fires identified as her grandad
A heartbroken woman admitted she "broke down" after being told one of the first victims of the deadly Hawaii wildfires was her 79-year-old grandfather.
Keshia Alaka'i was tragically told by local police on Saturday that the remains of her granddad Buddy L Jantoc had been identified following horrific wildfires which swept through the island on Tuesday.
The concerned granddaughter was alarmed when Buddy failed to call her from his retirement home when the storms started. She told Sky News: "He would call me every time there was a tropical storm or heavy rain. When I didn't hear from him, I knew something was wrong."
Buddy, who lived in the Hale Maholu retirement home in Lahaina, picked it to be his "forever home" and had lived there for the last 30 years, according to Keshia. However, she's admitted she does not know if there was an evacuation plan at the home for the residents.
The deadly wildfires have swept through Hawaii (AP)The identities of Buddy and fellow Lahaina resident, 74-year-old Robert Dyckman were confirmed by Maui Police on Saturday. Buddy was a well-known musician in the area who would perform at hotels, shopping malls, and local bars.
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"Besides his family, his other love was music", Ms. Alaka'i said. "Music was his life. He played every instrument. His house was like a music store. He didn't really have a sofa, just guitars. Hawaiian music was his favourite. We all dance hula, and he would sing."
"He was loved by many", she added. "My papa was always the light of the party, kind, generous, never had a mean thing to say, he was always positive."
The granddaughter admitted she doesn't know what condition Buddy's body is in, but intends to ask authorities to move his remains to Honolulu where she lives, so the family can grieve his loss.
Buddy Jantoc was one of the first victims identified"It hurts", she said. "The biggest frustration is that there was no warning, no sirens… I am broken, exhausted, and frustrated." Mayor Richard Bissen said: "We offer our deepest condolences to the families who are beginning to receive notifications about their loved ones. As a community, we offer our prayers of comfort in this most difficult time."
It comes as the death toll in Maui has risen to 106 as the Hawaiian town was torched to the ground by wildfires first responders are working day and night to fight to put out the dangerous flames.
Homes and buildings have been devastated (AP)Since the devastating rise in deaths, mobile morgues have been sent into Maui and have made the haunting request for families with missing people to submit DNA so crews can identify the growing number of bodies found in the debris. The wildfire was theorsed to have started from 'highly flammable' invasive reported from abandoned plantations.
“We are heartsick that we’ve had such loss,” Hawaii Governor Josh Green said when he announced the rising deaths on Tuesday night. In an earlier statement, the Governor shared a heartbreaking statement with the world saying: "We are prepared for many tragic stories. They will find 10 to 20 people per day, probably, until they finish. And it’s probably going to take 10 days."
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