Coronavirus: Hastings couple stranded in Goa desperate to get home

Mick Hartwell, 69, and Lily, 66, arrived in the Indian state in mid-January, long before the global crisis took hold.

They said they are desperate to get back home and have already spent nearly £2,000 on flights, which have all been cancelled at short notice.

The couple were due to fly back home on April 12 but, as the coronavirus pandemic took hold, chose to book earlier flights.

Mick, who taught at Hillcrest and New Horizons, said: “We got here on January 15. We chose Goa primarily for me to recover from major cancer surgery that I had in September and December last year.

“We had been before and liked it. We believed the warmth, clean air, good food and wonderful countryside would be good for me and my wife too.

“Suddenly, everything changed. Seeing the dramatic changes and sense of impending determination we booked earlier flights.

“Almost immediately we had parted with our money the new flights were cancelled. We tried for three other flights and the same thing happened. Then our original flight was cancelled.

“They are keeping the money for all these and simply offering vouchers. We have probably spent nearly £2,000 in our attempt to leave.”

He said police in Goa became ‘heavy-handed’ with anyone venturing outside following India’s lockdown.

He said: “All shops were shut as part of the severe lockdown in Goa and so even going out to try to find somewhere that may have food could put you in the position of being beaten with the bamboo sticks that Indian police traditionally use.

“There are many British tourists in this resort town of Candolim in North Goa.

“Some have been evicted from their accommodation as hotels and guesthouses began to close. Many are in simple rooms with no cooking facilities.

“The owner of our hotel has been extremely kind and has included us in some meals, but he has found it increasingly hard to find food for his own family. His wife is pregnant and he is worried for her.

“Our attempts to find useful information and reassurance from the British High Commission have not been worthwhile. Often, the phone is not answered and advice, when given, is incorrect or out of date.

“We have stood by as rescue flights have come in and evacuated Russians, Germans, French, Israelis, Ukrainians and, I believe, Albanians, Afghans and Bulgarians. It seems to be only the Brits left here now.

“We think there are around 2,000 trapped tourists in Goa as a whole. We have all been advised to email the High Commission with our details, so they perhaps have good figures now.”

Mick said people were living on boiled ’government water’, which is available for limited hours in the day, and whatever else they can get, such as rice and vegetables.

He added: “Our British neighbour sneaks out at night to get a tiny takeaway from a friend he has known here for 20 years. It is his only meal of the day.

“We are genuinely frightened and are very worried that before too long the infections will explode in an India which would not be able to cope.”

Yesterday (Monday, March 30), Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced a £75 million deal with British airlines to help those still stranded around the world.