A group of South Korean tourists whose van couldn’t make it through the wicked winter conditions near Buffalo, New York, found shelter thanks to a helpful stranger this past weekend.
Alexander Campagna, a dentist, wrote on Facebook that he received a “frantic knock on the door” in the village of Williamsville on Friday. Two men from a group of 10 tourists were at the door to ask for shovels to dig out their vehicle, which was stuck in front of Campagna’s home.
The tourists were stranded in what New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) described as “the blizzard of the century” ― a storm that has killed at least 28 people in Western New York’s Erie and Niagara counties, The Buffalo News reported.
People who died in the surrounding Buffalo area were discovered in snow banks and inside vehicles, The Associated Press reported, as snowfall totals reached 49.2 inches on Monday morning at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
The tourists ― who were on their way from Washington, D.C., to Niagara Falls ― “seemed unaware” of the pending storm. They “ended up stranded” outside Campagna’s home due to worsening conditions, one of the tourists, Pyeongtaek native Yoseb Choi, told The New York Times.
That’s when Campagna and his wife, Andrea, stepped in to offer them a place to stay.
The couple provided the 10 tourists with places to sleep. During the unexpected weekend stay, the group watched a Buffalo Bills game and ate Korean meals together ― food that the Campagnas love to consume, the newspaper reported.
“It was kind of like fate,” Choi told the Times.
“We will never forget this,” Campagna said.
The van was still stuck on Sunday, but drivers reportedly picked up the tourists for a return to New York City, as a majority of the group are set to continue back to South Korea this week.