One local family has been in mourning after a loved one died in Puerto Rico when first responders couldn't get to her in time. Now they believe others may be in danger because there's still no way to communicate.
No matter how many times you dial, you'll encounter the same non-working phone number message, not knowing if your loved ones are safe on an island still in the dark.
Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico, only five percent of the island has power. Water and fuel have been hard to come by, and to make matters worse, cell phone towers were down, making it virtually impossible to contact anyone on the island.
But one Clarksville family got a call no one ever wants to receive.
"You're not going to like this, but your sister is dead," said Jariel Jimenez-Lopez.
Jimenez-Lopez took us through the moment his father learned that his sister had died. When her 14-year-old son found her there was no way to call for help, but when help finally did arrive, it was too late.
"We don't know, maybe she could have been saved if an ambulance showed up," said Mariel Lopez Gonzalez.
Lopez Gonzalez said no one knows for sure how her sister-in-law died, and no one ever will.
When there's no power, the medical examiner can't perform autopsies.
"I think that's the worst feeling, when someone passes and you don't know what happened to her," said Lopez Gonzalez.
But the Jimenez-Lopez's haven't been the only family in the United States dealing with the fear of the unknown. Thousands have been in the same situation.
"I'm hoping that they get the help that they need, not just our family, but everyone in Puerto Rico," said Lopez Gonzalez.
Now families have been hoping someone answers the call for help.
If you would like to donate, you can visit this site to help in the relief efforts in Puerto Rico.
