Macon couple recounts dining in Paris when terrorist attacks broke out

Will Bogle and Rebecca Hill-Bogle of Macon were at dinner during their last night in Paris when Friday's terrorist attacks broke out.

The Bogles had gone to Paris to celebrate his 37th birthday, which was Nov. 11.

She recalls asking her husband over the dinner table why he was having a hamburger and fries when they were dining in Paris.

Bogle, a music agent who represents a few gospel singers, remembers looking at his Facebook page as he defended his dinner choice. The post was about a shooting in Paris where several people were injured or fatally wounded.

It was about 10 p.m. in Paris.

Bogle recalled thinking that surely it must be an isolated incident. Then Hill-Bogle, a stay-at-home mother of two with one on the way, started getting text messages from family members wanting to know if they were all right. Her mom called on her husband's cellphone and told him that Paris was being attacked by terrorists.

That sent Hill-Bogle, who is six months pregnant, into a panic.

"I'm pretty calm all the time as far as when things are, you know, nice and easygoing," she said. "But when tragedy strikes, that's when I just ... I went into full panic mode."

Meanwhile, Bogle, who was in New York on Sept. 11, 2001, kept calm.

He knew he had to keep his wits about him. He had to get his wife to safety.

Unable to catch a cab, the couple walked more than two miles to the U.S. Embassy in Paris to seek shelter. But they were turned away. The embassy was on lockdown.

"I was stunned because we had walked two-and-a-half miles out of the way to get to the embassy just to find out that we wouldn't be admitted to the embassy," Bogle said. "It was very disheartening for me."

U.S. embassies and consulates offer emergency services to U.S. citizens overseas in times of crisis, but in general, are not able to offer shelter, Noel Clay, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said via email.

The U.S. Embassy in Paris advised U.S. citizens to shelter in place due to the terrorist attacks, to heed local authorities and to maintain security awareness, Clay said.

The Macon couple was greeted by an American at the embassy, who told them to seek shelter at their hotel. Bogle was disheartened they weren't afforded transportation to their hotel by embassy officials.

During the ordeal, Hill-Bogle was concerned about her pregnancy.

"The walking, you know, nobody was just sauntering," she said. "We were all kinda in a fast pace to get to where we wanted to go."

She said she tried not to become too stressed or overwhelmed.

"I know that you can go into pre-term labor," Hill-Bogle said. "I had all kinds of thoughts going through my mind. I said, 'This is just not good.'"

From the embassy, they made their way on foot to a nearby metro Paris train station only to find that the machines that issued the train tickets were down. But then another couple at the train station saw their plight and gave them their tickets.

After 30 minutes, they were inside their hotel room. It was now 1:30 a.m. in Paris.

Bogle said the first thing he did was call the airline and book the first available flight out. The hotel arranged a 5 a.m. car service to take them to the airport for their 8 a.m. flight.

Neither could sleep.

Hill-Bogle said she feared the airport itself might be targeted by terrorists. But Bogle said he felt strongly that flying was the only way to get home.

The couple arrived back in Macon on Saturday afternoon.

They said they were saddened by the tragedy, glad to be home and expressed their love for Paris, a city they found to be romantic, charming and filled with history.

"I would like to say that we're sorry and that we stand with them," Bogle said. "It's unfortunate that this is the world we live in now.

"But they are a very resilient people, as we are ... And we send our love and support to them."

To contact writer Becky Purser, call 256-9559.

This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 9:42 PM with the headline "Macon couple recounts dining in Paris when terrorist attacks broke out ."