Rescue operations have been taking place to extract British families left stranded in the Caribbean by Hurricane Irma. Some who managed to get away have been speaking of their relief, while the government has been criticised for its response as others remain stranded.

The UK foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, faced tough questions after criticism from the family of a British woman who has not yet been evacuated from the Franco-Dutch island of St Martin.



Johnson rejected claims from Geoffrey Scott Baker that Whitehall had shown “callous disregard” for the plight of British citizens.

“This is the biggest consular crisis that we have faced. In St Martin in particular it is important for listeners to understand that this is controlled by the Dutch and the French. They have been evacuating people, but in priority according to their medical need,” he said.



“Some British nationals have been evacuated from St Martin. We are in constant touch with the Dutch and the French who are doing it. They don’t want more people coming on to the island, which is a disaster zone. It is up to them to get them off.”



A British family told how they sheltered from the storm under a mattress in a wardrobe. Clare Chilton, her husband and their two children were holed up in their rented home in Tortola, on the British Virgin Islands, for more than 24 hours.

They propped a mattress on the upper shelves of the walk-in cupboard and placed another one over their heads during the height of the storm.



Chilton, who is originally from Middlesbrough, said she felt like “one of the lucky ones” after being rescued and evacuated to Puerto Rico along with her three-year-old son, George, and seven-year-old daughter, Sofia.

Her husband, Hadley, 39, an accountant for Baker Tilly, had remained on the island to help with the relief effort. “I managed to escape and that was through the help of various friends who we didn’t even know five minutes before,” she said.

“Everyone has just banded together and got each other out of each other’s houses. We were very lucky because we didn’t see anything, because we wanted to keep the children as sheltered as possible.”

She said her landlady wept when she saw the damage to the home she had built. After the evacuation, Chilton said she felt guilty, adding: “I’m one of the lucky ones, I’ve managed to escape. What I’m worried about now is how the people who are there are going to be looked after.”

She added her voice to the criticism of the British government, calling its response “shoddy”. But she said Sir Richard Branson, who lives in the British Virgin Islands, seemed “very positive” about getting the area back on track during a meeting held at her hotel. “Coming out of the meeting with Branson yesterday, everyone was buoyed and positive that we are going to be able to do this.”

Sarah Penney, 33, a UK citizen who was born and raised on Tortola, said she was struck by a washing machine that was lifted from the ground in the storm. She said it would have taken her with it had her friend not managed to push away the appliance into the direction of the wind. She told the Press Association: “I sincerely would not be alive … had he not been there.”

Penney was sheltering from the storm at home with her eight-month-old baby, her mother, 70, and her friend Chouby when she was hit. Describing the aftermath of the hurricane on Tortola, Penney, who is director of a performing arts school, said: “It’s like we’ve been bombed.”

Alex Woolfall, a British tourist on St Martin, said he was “thankful to be here” after being rescued by the US Air Force. He posted an account of his experiences on Twitter.

0430 now in #StMaarten & building shaking and howling winds. Scary stuff but still have power. #Irma2017 #HurricaineIrma #HuracánIrma — alex woolfall (@woolfallalex) September 6, 2017

Okay I am now pretty terrified so can every non-believer, atheist & heretic please pray for me in #StMaarten as #Irma2017 is here now. 🙏 — alex woolfall (@woolfallalex) September 6, 2017

May be my last tweet as power out and noise now apocalyptic. This is like a movie I never want to see. #Irma2017 #StMaarten 🤞🤞 — alex woolfall (@woolfallalex) September 6, 2017

My God this noise! It's like standing behind a jet engine!! Constant booms & bangs. At least concrete stairwell not moving. #Irma2017 — alex woolfall (@woolfallalex) September 6, 2017

Still thunderous sonic boom noises outside & boiling in stairwell. Can feel scream of things being hurled against building. #HurricaineIrma — alex woolfall (@woolfallalex) September 6, 2017

Just been airlifted off #StMaarten by @usairforce to whom I owe my life. Thx so much for prayers & msgs. Safe at last pic.twitter.com/3pGpJqOSzZ — alex woolfall (@woolfallalex) September 10, 2017

The PR consultant, who is from London, said after his rescue: “I am just tired but very thankful to be here. I think probably all those on vacation would say it was a nightmare but it’s over for us. What about the people of St Martin and the other islands? I just hope the aid and support they need comes.”

A British couple, Liz Jackson, 33, and her partner Craig Guest, 34, spoke of their anger at being refused help by rescue operations that would only help their own nationals. The Sunday Telegraph quoted Jackson’s brother as saying: “There were spaces available in the [American] jeeps but they were told they could not get on as they were not US citizens and there was no arrangement with the British government.”

There were concerns that the delays in rescuing British citizens mean they may have to sit out a second storm in the space of a few days if Hurricane Jose hits.