A Cape Breton mother is pleading for government agencies to step up and help her son, who is stranded in the Caribbean because of Hurricane Irma.
Susan McQuaid's son Chris is now living out of his car on the island of Anguilla after the Category 5 hurricane destroyed his apartment.
“I don't sleep well anymore,” says McQuaid. “I'm emotionally stressed. Not eating, not sleeping, terrible headaches, but it's not anything what they're going through.”
McQuaid says she’s been trying to get Chris home ever since the storm hit.
“There's Canadian and U.S. students, and students from other countries, and they're hearing rumors of help going to other islands and they're feeling abandoned. They're getting desperate and scared,” says McQuaid.
McQuaid says her son ran out of food and water, just as the heat and bacteria levels began to rise. Police ran out of gas, making it hard to patrol and easier for looters. Many people are desperate for anything they can get their hands on just to survive.
Global Affairs says they've increased staff at their centre to ensure they can respond promptly to Canadians abroad. To date, they've received more than 2,100 calls and emails, but so far there have been no reports of Canadian casualties.
“Over weekend we evacuated 390 Canadians from St. Marten, with more planes today, hoping all Canadians that have requested assistance will be evacuated,” says Global Affairs Parliamentary Secretary Omar Alghabra.
McQuaid says she doesn't care which government agency helps the victims of Hurricane Irma, as long as someone does it quickly.
“Don't tell me you are sending it. Tell me when and where, so those kids know what to do,” she says.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore.
