LAHAINA, HAWAII: A grief-stricken woman openly shared her emotional turmoil after receiving the news that her grandfather had become one of the initial casualties of the devastating wildfires that ravaged Hawaii.
Keshia Alaka'i, grappling with this tragic loss, recounted the moment when local authorities informed her on a sorrowful Saturday, August 12, that the remains of her beloved grandfather, Buddy L Jantoc, had been formally identified in the aftermath of the harrowing inferno that engulfed the island on August 8.
Who was Buddy L Jantoc?
Buddy L Jantoc was a 79 year old man, and grandfather of Keshia Alaka'i. Buddy had made his dwelling at the Hale Maholu retirement home in Lahaina, a place he had chosen to be his "forever home," He resided there for an extensive three-decade span, as disclosed by Keshia.
Buddy was a guitarist and loved music and his family. Renowned throughout the area, he graced the stages of hotels, shopping malls, and neighborhood bars, captivating audiences with his entrancing performances.
Was there an evacuation plan at the retirement home?
The concerned granddaughter recounted how a sense of unease had gripped her since; reportedly, there was no evacuation plan or prior warning at the retirement home during the onset of the catastrophic wildfires.
She poignantly expressed to Sky News, "He used to call me whenever there was a tropical storm or heavy rainfall. His silence prompted an instinctive realization that something had gone amiss."
"He was loved by many", she recalled. “My papa was always the light of the party, kind, generous, never had a mean thing to say, he was always positive." "It hurts", she continued.
"The biggest frustration is that there was no warning, no sirens… I am broken, exhausted, and frustrated," she said.
Mayor Richard Bissen expressed, "We offer our deepest condolences to the families who are beginning to receive notifications about their loved ones. As a community, we offer our prayers of comfort in this most difficult time."
With a heavy heart, the granddaughter confessed that she remains uncertain about the state of Buddy's remains. However, resolute in her determination to navigate this painful situation, she plans to engage with authorities to facilitate the relocation of his body to Honolulu, where she currently resides.
