TAMPA, Fla. — Another flight carrying people fleeing Israel arrived at Tampa International Airport Wednesday morning.
Bryan Stern, the Founder of Project Dynamo, said there were 23 Americans on the plane Wednesday that they rescued from Israel.
"They went from Israel to Cyprus, and once they got to Cyprus is where we handed it over to Florida Department of Emergency Management and their contractors," said Stern. "From there, because we're not in on it, it's a little fuzzy, but I think they went to Athens, and then from Athens, they went to Egypt, and then from Egypt, they came to Tampa."
Stern said this mission is the 602nd rescue operation that they've done in 25 months.
"As a mother, all I want to do is keep my family together and safe," said Gail Zins.
The Zins family never imagined their time in Israel would turn into a race to return to their home country.
The family from California went to Israel as one daughter planned to go to school there and made it a vacation.
"It's surreal to be in a war-torn country that we're just on vacation, and suddenly we're in the middle of rockets and bombing," said Gail.
The family recalled the fear and fast action to try to leave the country as their vacation played out in a war one, eventually getting in touch with Tampa-based nonprofit Project Dynamo.
"We slept with our shoes on, fully clothed, because we knew at any minute, we could get a call saying that they had a plane," said Talia Zins. "We couldn't sleep because what if the phone rang and we didn't hear it?"
On Sunday, the first flight from Israel brought 270 people to TPA. It was made possible by Project Dynamo with funding from the state; it was the nonprofit's first rescue funded by a government agency.
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Governor Ron DeSantis was there when that flight landed. He and his family greeted people as they got off the plane.
Stern said Sunday's flight was their fourth combat deployment since they began in 2021. That's not including responses for Hurricane Ian and the wildfires in Maui.
On Sunday, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said there were plans for at least three more flights to return to Tampa this week. No additional details have been released.
As they made their way to their final destination, the Zins family was filled with a sense of relief and gratitude to be on US soil and headed home.
“It’s very hard to put into words the profound experience that we’ve had," said Gail. "Proud to be an American.”
