A Lahaina man who escaped a wildfire that destroyed swaths of the scenic West End Maui town was relieved to hear from the California family with which he now shares a bond through tragedy.
Jubee Bedoya and the family of seven from Fresno made a desperate run for the ocean Aug. 8 as flames whipped by powerful winds rampaged through Lahaina. The family's 2-year-old child held tight to Bedoya's neck for two to three hours as they floated on to a piece of plywood that was ripped by wind from a store front.
Video shows Bedoya and the family in the water surrounded by thick smoke.
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On Monday, Bedoya spoke with the sister of the child's father on the phone. She had already learned of Bedoya's heroism -- he encountered the family on the shoreline as he raced to the relative safety of the water -- after speaking earlier with her brother.
"I'm so glad to hear they made it out," Bedoya said. "Your little nephew… he was hanging on so tight to my neck. He was so terrified. I'm so happy they got out alive."
Two days passed before Dao Phonxaylinkham found out that her brother and his family survived the harrowing life-or-death situation.
"When we first saw the news, I felt like something hit (my) chest really hard," said Phonxaylinkham. "'Very painful,' he said. He felt powerless almost, but yet you can't see them die that way."
She said she asked the 2-year-old about Bedoya.
"He said, 'Strong, like my dad,'" Phonxaylinkham said.
The family and Bedoya were among the 17 people rescued by the Coast Guard. He returned to Lahaina two days later to find his neighborhood destroyed.
“We were trapped,” Bedoya said. “There was nothing we could do. That fire and wind just came so fast. There was nothing anybody could do.”
The California family has since returned home.
At least 99 people have died in wildfires that were fanned by strong winds. The death toll is likely to continue rising, according to authorities.
Searchers had covered about 25% of the search area, authorities said Monday. Police Chief John Pelletier told NBC's "TODAY" show that the search was going slowly because the search dog were getting tired from the heat and rough terrain.
He said the emotional toll is draining not just for the town, but also their local rescuers.
"I don't think anybody is prepared to have this type of situation," Pelletier said Tuesday morning. "And let's realize this. When folks are shifting through burn debris, and dust is on you, it's not just dust on you. It's our dead. And I don't think anybody really is used to that when they go home and they take off the uniform. And it's really somber to think about that."
The wildfires are already the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century. The cause was under investigation.
