Couple that escaped Irma finds refuge in New Jersey

A couple that escaped Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean has found refuge in New Jersey thanks to the kindness of friends and strangers.
David deOliviera and Olivier Ganet escaped the Caribbean island of St. Barth’s after Hurricane Irma. They were able to get one of the last flights out of St. Barth’s and Puerto Rico as Hurricane Maria approached.
Irma destroyed their home.
“The hurricane came into the kitchen. The kitchen explode (sic) and then we had to hide ourselves under the bed,” deOliviera says.
They were rescued from rising waters in the middle of the night. They then spent the past two weeks sleeping on an air mattress in the shop that they own. They were finally able to make it to the United States.
They say that despite all that they lost, they are the fortunate ones thanks to all their loved ones who raised money for their flights to New Jersey.
“They bought all the tickets for us and so we are going to have a real life now…we want to rest,” deOliviera says.
Family friend Sal Cannizzaro says that he helped coordinate a fundraiser for the couple.
"Whether it’s our own country or another country, people are people and we should all come together,” he says.
The couple says that the longest they can stay in the U.S. as visitors is three months. They say they hope that they can get back on their feet during that time.