Mike Hickman and his wife, a couple from Lakeland, Florida, are finally safe after a week of being stranded in Dubai

That’s a harrowing story—especially the part about the drone strike hitting the exact spot where they had been standing just hours earlier.

Mike Hickman and his wife, a couple from Lakeland, Florida, are finally safe after a week of being stranded in Dubai following a massive escalation in the Middle East conflict. Here are the key details of their journey:

The Narrow Escape

• The Drone Strike: On Saturday, Feb 28, the Hickmans were on a plane on the tarmac in Dubai, preparing to fly to India for their anniversary. The flight was canceled, and they were sent back into the terminal. Just four hours after they left a specific coffee shop in the terminal, an Iranian drone struck that exact location.
• Sheltering in Place: For several days, the couple hunkered down in their Airbnb. They spent one night in the building’s basement following an emergency alert from the UAE government as airstrikes between Iran, Israel, and the U.S. continued.

The Journey to Safety

• A Risky Pivot: After multiple booked flights were canceled and rumors spread that Dubai’s airspace might close for two weeks, the couple took matters into their own hands.
• The Desert Drive: They hired a private driver to take them from Dubai to Oman, driving through the desert to reach an airport where flights were still operational.
• Arrival in India: As of today, Wednesday, March 4, the couple has successfully reached India. While they missed the start of the Holi festival, they are safe and continuing their anniversary trip.

Frustration with Official Channels

Mike Hickman expressed significant frustration with the U.S. State Department. He reported that when he called the emergency line for stranded Americans, the person who answered essentially told him there was no help being provided and that travelers needed to find their own way out.