MAUI COUNTY, Hawaii — A Houston area family went on a summer vacation to Maui not knowing days later a wildfire would rip through leaving more than 90 people dead.
Isaiah Barganier, a University of Texas Rio Grande Valley basketball player, and his family landed in Houston Saturday morning after having to evacuate from Hawaii.
He and his family went to the historic town of Lahaina in Maui, which has now been devastated by a wildfire.
"The whole sky started to become black, you know, we were kind of like, okay, like this is a serious situation," Barganier said.
The hotel Barganier and his family stayed in was without power for a few days, not realizing the severity of the situation until they had to evacuate.
“Seeing pictures and stuff all over the Internet and it was just like, wow, like, you don't even realize what's happening,” Barganier said. "A lot of people don't understand the sort of surreal moment that people are in over there in Maui."
As they evacuated, Barganier said he and family went to a Red Cross location to hand out water and snacks to people who needed it.
As a college athlete, Barganier wants to use his resources to give back.
"I'm actually partnering with a couple of local influencers as well as Be A Champion, Inc. I'm a part of the Champion Athletes Association, where I work every day. We're trying to look for solutions to figure out ways to send resources and love to Maui to let them know that they're not forgotten," Barganier said.
He and his family are thankful to be back home, but Barganier said he’s still with a heavy heart thinking of the people of Maui who have lost so much.
“I’m so worried about those people over there and I’m just so thankful that God let us get out, but you know, there's a lot of people that weren't in the same situation that we're in. So you just definitely gotta stay prayed up," Barganier said.