Fort Myers couple stranded in Qatar amid Iran-US tensions

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — A Fort Myers couple is trapped in Qatar as tensions rise in the Middle East, leaving tens of thousands of travelers stranded due to the ongoing conflict in Iran.

Lisa and Darryl Lee have found themselves unable to return home after their connecting flight from Brisbane, Australia, through Doha, Qatar, was disrupted.

"I just happened to hear the pilot," said Lisa Lee. "He was a bit panicked in his speaking. We were having to turn around and go back to Doha because of airstrikes between Iran and the U.S."

Since the end of February, the Lees have been staying in a hotel in Doha after police escorts evacuated them and others from the Doha Hamad Airport. The couple has been provided with meals and necessities by the hotel.

"They're feeding us a buffet, breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's on them. They're giving us everything we need in our hotel room. They're watching out for our safety," said Lee.

Despite the hospitality, the situation remains tense.

"There were about 30 missiles that were flying through the air," said Lee. They were either being intercepted, or we would hear a loud bang where they were hitting the ground. We found out that it was the U.S. base just north of where we are in Qatar that got hit by those missiles."

"It is very nerve-wracking," she added. "Do you go to the basement that this hotel provides for safety? Do you go back to your hotel room and rest in the quietness of your room?"

The Lees have contacted the U.S. State Department's STEP program, expressing their desire to return home.

"They tell us that they do not have anything in place to evacuate us, but they're telling us to leave," said Lee. "We have had no reassurance. I plead, just give us an answer. You want us to leave? Please help us leave."

The couple is eager to return to their family and life in Fort Myers, hoping for assistance.

"The pouring out of people in their prayers and their options to help us has just been amazing, and I just can't tell you how much we appreciate that," said Lee. "We know that we're here for a reason. It's not for any particular reason other than we know that God is going to provide a way for us to get out of here."

The Lees have been advised that they could travel through the desert to Saudi Arabia to reach an airport, but they await further guidance from the United States on the safety of this option.

WINK News has reached out to local representatives and Gov. Ron DeSantis’s office to inquire about potential plans to assist Floridians in the Middle East. We are waiting for a response.