Chad Owens was still shaking his head Monday.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ veteran receiver remains in disbelief over the missile alert sent in error to residents of his home state of Hawaii on Saturday.
“BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL,” read the message that was sent to the cell phones of residents and tourists just after 8 am., local time Saturday.
The message — which was sent when a government employee chose the wrong option on a computer dropdown menu — created panic across the Hawaiian islands. That didn’t dissipate until 38 minutes later, when a message was distributed saying the warning was a false alarm.
“To me, it’s almost not real,” Owens said Monday during a visit to Mosaic Stadium. “It’s like, ‘What is this, a movie?’ It’s a scary thought.
“I know everyone makes mistakes and things like that happen, but you can’t make those mistakes — and even if you do make those mistakes, 38 minutes later? We need to do a better job of letting people know right away if these things are mistakes.”
Owens, a 35-year-old product of Honolulu, used to spend CFL off-seasons in Hawaii until he moved his wife and children to Mississauga, Ont., nearly three years ago.
But his extended family — including his father, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins — remains in the state.
“I consider all my friends family, too,” Owens said when asked how many family members live in the islands. “I know a lot of people there, so I’m talking the whole state.”
On Saturday, Owens got a text message from one of his aunts who told him that his loved ones were OK. In reality, that was the first time that Owens had heard of the mistaken missile alert.
“I was so busy that I missed the whole social-media talk about it,” he said. “I heard, ‘Hey, it was just a false alarm,’ and I was like, ‘False alarm? What are we talking about here?’ Then I got the news.”
That news immediately provided Owens with a dose of reality.
“As a kid in school, you’re like, ‘Aw, here goes another fire alarm,’ ” he said. “That’s a school fire alarm evacuation. We’re talking (this time) about a missile that could take out everything. We’re a few rocks in the middle of the ocean, man, so that’s scary.
“I’m just super-thankful that it was a false alarm and nothing happened. What that will do to people is provide perspective on both ends, on the government side and for the people.
“In Hawaii, it’s about caring for your loved ones, enjoying everyone every day and not taking anything for granted. Every day is an opportunity to love someone, to live life to its fullest and just be happy. I hate to sound so preachy — I’m not trying to give a motivational talk here — but it really opens your eyes. What if it wasn’t a false alarm? What if it was real?”
Courtesy of KITV
Hawaii has been testing its nuclear warning siren system since December, after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the range of his country’s nuclear missiles had been extended.
Many experts suggest that residents of the Hawaiian islands have felt more vulnerable than citizens on the U.S. mainland ever since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 — the event that prompted the United States to enter the Second World War.
Owens agrees with that sentiment. As he put it: “(Saturday’s incident) hits home.”
As a result, his level of concern has been heightened.
“I’ve been removed from the islands for a few years now and everyone is like, ‘Man, why are you living here and not in that beautiful place?’ ” he said. “I went back last year for a few weeks and got to appreciate the islands again and really take in what I was so fortunate to have.
“When you think about the possibility (of a nuclear attack), it’s scary. To think that the islands could be done, with no recovery, you think about the worst and it really makes you appreciate everything. It’s not just your family members and the people — that’s No. 1 — but Hawaii itself and the spirit there.
“People say it all the time: You feel different when you go there. To think that you might not be able to have that feeling one day, that’s crazy. That’s why I say (Saturday’s event) is like a movie. It can’t be real.”
