What started as a dream vacation for four couples from Greater Cincinnati came to a screeching halt when Hurricane Irma unleashed her fury on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands."It was like a bomb went off with tornadoes, a lot of tornadoes," said Matt Mullins. "This was the whole island, the whole thing. Everything was gone."Mullins and his wife, who live in West Chester, crossed paths with the deadly storm Wednesday, which was supposed to be the final day of a weeklong vacation with friends.Their tropical getaway started on the nearby island of St. John. But as fears of Hurricane Irma grew, the couples made their way to St. Thomas because it has an airport."As soon as we heard about (the hurricane), we all started looking for flights out of there," said Susan Mullins. "Problem is, everybody else was, too."The group of friends ended up riding out the storm and dealing with its aftermath together, determined to look out for one another."We all came together, and we were like, 'We're all leaving together,'" said Matt Mullins. "So we pretty much stuck together all the way through."Now, they're in Puerto Rico, still trying to find flights to Cincinnati. But their hearts remain with the people who call St. Thomas home."They're all just trying to survive because a lot of the people there have lost everything," Matt Mullins said.Matt and Susan Mullins hope to return to their home in West Chester by Friday at the latest.