Coronavirus travel ban leaves local tourists stranded

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Fourteen Toled-area divers set out from Chicago to Micronesia on Thursday. Then a travel ban, set to expire, was reinstated, leaving one group of tourists stranded in paradise.

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"Never has it happened to our business before," says Jeff Davis, owner of Aqua Hut SCUBA & Travel in Toledo.

Davis regularly plans trips for his divers.

"We have 14 trips this year. We've already done two," he says.

The trip was to Chuuk, and island in Micronesia.

"This whole trip was based on some World War II Shipwreck diving that it's one of the only places in the world that you have the graveyard of World War II shipwrecks. So when we found out we couldn't go, it's still a big, big loss to us," says Andrew Savo, trip leader.

Savo is leading the trip, but they never made it to their final destination. Micronesia had a travel ban. No visitors from any country with coronavirus cases allowed. The ban was set to expire the day before the group arrived.

"They got to Hawaii, spent the night, and that night the island of Micronesia reinstated their banning any country where Coronavirus had a case," says Davis.

"It was a shock for me. It was a big surprise... Three of our divers went home immediately. They said they were disappointed. They said they didn't want to spend much time here," says Savo.

A travel agent, Cheryl Patterson of Deep Blue Adventures, stepped in to get everyone rerouted safely.

"We're going to make the best of it and go diving out in Fiji," says Savo.

The door is open to make the trip again.

"United airlines has been great with us making sure they can get everybody where they need to go, the boat has said you have two years to come back and we will give you a trip at no charge," says Davis.

Everyone is trying to stay positive.

"Hawaii is wonderful, it is very beautiful here. We are very happy we were stuck here rather than anywhere else," says Savo.

"Keep traveling. It's the adventure of life," says Davis.

Six of the divers are going on to Fiji, while the others are either staying in Hawaii or heading home early.

Aqua Hut does not anticipate coronavirus affecting any more of their trips, but they are keeping an eye out, just in case.