Two women vacationing in Maui managed to survive last week's deadly firestorm by jumping into a swimming pool.
Kristina Lee-Garrido and her childhood best friend were inside their rental unit in Lahaina when thick smoke started to pour in. They grabbed their wallets and electronics and took off, only to lose each other in the smoke twice.
Watch NBC6 free wherever you are
>
WATCH HEREBut they managed to reunite and find the pool, which was their "only option" for survival, Lee-Garrido said.
"I feel extremely blessed right now," Lee-Garrido said. "There were many angels in our path, but we couldn't always see them. There was no one there except us."
Get local news you need to know to start your day with NBC 6's News Headlines newsletter.
>
SIGN UP
Lee-Garrido said they used the SOS feature on their iPhones to connect with emergency services.
"They pinged us first thing and they knew where we were, and they said don't move anywhere, do not get out of the pool," Lee-Garrido said.
The pair ended up spending three hours in the pool, but the smoke became too much. Lee-Garrido pinged emergency services again and was told to stay put because no one was able to come rescue them.
"Fifteen minutes later, three firefighters busted through a gate and came and got us," Lee-Garrido said.
