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Revelstoke family OK after Philippines earthquake

Mike, Tracey, Caitlin, and James Vopni were staying on island of Bohol in the Philippines when the magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit on Tuesday.
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The Vopni family: parents Mike and Tracey and kids Caitlin and James

The family of Mike, Tracey, Caitlin and James Vopni are OK after surviving a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck the Philippines on Tuesday.

The Vopni family, who left Revelstoke at the start of summer, was staying at a resort on the island of Bohol, which was at the epicentre of the deadly earthquake.

The family is on a trip around the world and was staying at the Loboc River Resort when the earthquake struck. They posted an update on their website that day indicating they were alright.

On Wednesday, the related their experience to the CBC. Tracey told the CBC they were lucky to be alive. They huddled in the doorway of a small bungalow while the earth shook beneath them.

"The bungalow was being tossed back and forth...The floor started to buckle. It started to cave into the water," she told the CBC. "I thought we were going to die. I really did. I've never felt how I felt. It was a frightening few moments."

Worrying about a tsunami, they then fled to higher ground. They witnessed the destruction caused by the earthquake, which has resulted in 144 deaths so far.

Tracey said they received help from locals to find food and shelter afterwards.

Mike was a Realtor for Sotheby's in Revelstoke, selling properties for Revelstoke Mountain Resort. Tracey was active in the community, chairing the Arrow Heights Elementary Parents Advisory Committee and leading a push for better speed controls along Nichol Road near the school.

You can see more pictures of the destruction wrought by the earthquake on their website. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the slideshow of pictures of the earthquake.

A scene of some of the destruction caused by the earthquake in the Philippines. Vopni.com