Macon couple relives trip in Paris during terrorist attacks

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Macon couple is back home safely after cutting their trip to Paris short because of Friday’s terrorist attacks.

Will and Rebecca Bogle were in France celebrating Will’s 37th birthday.

“It was just a great, overwhelming feeling of fear,” Rebecca said reliving the moments after she found out about the attack. 

Thousands shared those same feelings in Paris as terrorists attacked several areas of the city. 

“A gentleman came out and kind of told us we needed to leave. A very big thing happened here he said,” Will said. 

The couple was about ten minutes away from where the attacks were happening. 

Will noticed something wasn’t right. 

“My wife is six months pregnant, so we decided the only option was to walk because we weren’t sure if the rumors that we had heard were true,” Will said. 

The couple heard taxis were shut down and tried to find help. After going to several hotels, they then walked to the U.S. Embassy in Paris and were turned away. 

“I was stunned by that because we walked two miles out of the way of where our hotel is to go to the embassy seeking some safety or some shelter,” Will said. 

“You would see a police officer, ambulance, like every two, three minutes. You would see them just up and down the street,” Rebecca said. 

A spokesman from the U.S. Embassy told the Atlanta Journal Constitution in part…

“It is standard procedure at our embassy, and all U.S. embassies worldwide, to not offer shelter to American citizens in times of security threats precisely because the embassies themselves could easily be prime targets.”

Leaving the Bogles on their own. 

Will says after being directed to a nearby train, he then noticed neither his debit or credit cards nor internet service on his phone were working. 

“It was just a horrible experience. I cried maybe two hours because I couldn’t imagine what I was going to do or how I was going to get home to see my family,” Rebecca said. 

After getting back to their hotel, they quickly hopped on the first flight out of the city, thankful to leave safely, and get back to their two-year-old son and the rest of their family.

“I couldn’t imagine how either of us would have been if my son was with us,” Will said. 

The Bogles say despite their experience, they’d happily return to Paris saying terrorists would get exactly what they wanted if they scared people from living their lives.