The daughter of a pair of Canadians trapped in the Bahamas amid hurricane Dorian says they have made contact as their family desperately tried to reach them for days.
Kristin Dudley, a resident of Greenfield Park, Que., said Wednesday her parents made brief contact following days of silence.
“My parents were able to call their office and get a message they are safe before they got cut off,” Dudley said.
Dr. Denis Dudley and Dr. Sharyn Laughlin from Ottawa were at the family home on Abaco Island in the northern Bahamas when hurricane Dorian, then a category 5 storm, struck on Friday.
READ MORE: Quebecer trying to reach parents stuck in Bahamas amid Hurricane Dorian
Earlier this week, Dudley said her parents were safe during the height of the hurricane and she was able to reach them on Sunday afternoon. The pair, along with two of their friends, took shelter in the home’s attic after the storm ripped part of the roof and washed out the main floor.
After that, the family was met with silence.
Amid worries, they contacted various authorities in the area and the Canadian embassy about a possible rescue. Dudley said at the time they were told nothing could be done until the storm subsided.
READ MORE: Hurricane Dorian might hit Quebec this weekend
On Wednesday, Dudley said they are trying to arrange a private helicopter to get her parents off the Island.
“We are working on hearing from them again and getting them out,” she said.
Dr. Chloe Ward, a dermatologist at the office where Dudley and Laughlin work, says immense relief washed over her when she heard from her colleagues late Wednesday morning.
“He was able to just make the phone call, just to let us know they are safe, that they are alive, that they are trying to get transportation out,” she said.
“But there was so much going on there.”
Rescue operations are underway in the Bahamas after the powerful hurricane slammed the tropical region for two days. As of Wednesday, at least seven deaths have been reported but authorities say that number will likely rise.
The torrential rain and strong winds have affected thousands of homes, crippled infrastructure and left residents stranded.
WATCH: Quebecer searches for parents stuck in Bahamas amid Hurricane Dorian
— With files from Global News’ Phil Carpenter, Mike Armstrong, Rachael D’Amore and The Canadian Press