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Navy family of 8 stranded at Atlanta airport on July 4

By Kevyn Stewart
Published  July 4, 2024 5:29pm EDT
Travel News
FOX 5 Atlanta

Family of 8 stranded during July 4 holiday

Holiday travel can be filled with delays and long lines, but one family ran into a different kind of trouble during the July 4 holiday. FOX 5's Kevyn Stewart has the story of a Navy family stranded at the airport.

ATLANTA - A Navy family transferring from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Pensacola, Florida, became stuck at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Independence Day.

"We have 6 kids and a dog," said Sean Cook. "It's really hard; you can see all the stuff we have."

The family had long made arrangements to have their family van transported to Atlanta. The plan was to drive northwest Florida to begin their new life. But they found out their vehicle is stuck in San Diego and won't be in Atlanta until the end of the month.

The Cook's thought the easy solution would be to pre-pay several days in advance for rental cars from Avis. When they arrived in Atlanta, they were shocked.

"They canceled our cars and didn't tell us," shared Jessica Cook. "It's a holiday and everyone else is booked out."

The Navy is putting them up in a hotel, and the family hopes to get a car or even a flight on Friday. They are also hoping to get a refund from the rental car company.