A couple from Weyburn are on vacation in Hawaii, where their trip took an eventful turn on the morning of their first full day there.

"It was 8:08 a.m. and it was the first morning. Dale and I decided to take the morning off from heading out to golf. Normally we'd be heading to the golf course or on the golf course by then. We were in our condo and we got an emergency alert on our phone that read 'BALLISTIC MISSLE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII, SEEK SHELTER, THIS IS NOT A DRILL!'," explained Deana Mainil, Weyburnite on holiday in Hawaii.

Dale, Deana's husband, was out on the deck when Deana asked Dale if he received the text. He asked if they should go downstairs to the lobby.

"I said, 'what for? if it's real, what are we going to do?'"

After showering they went downstairs for breakfast. They decided to watch for the possible incoming missile from a nearby dock, but the Mainil's did not believe the alert was real, so they went for breakfast. They went to a restaurant but all the employees had gone home to seek shelter. They then went to a second restaurant but with the same result.

"So we thought 'well, let's go back to our place and make bacon and eggs' so we did that."

After 38 minutes from receiving the first message, a second message came to their phone which said, "There is no missile threat, or danger to the state of Hawaii, repeat False Alarm!"

Deana said they did not really think much else about it.

"Both of us were calm about it. We didn't go anywhere so we didn't see any mayhem."

Deana then went to a men's pickleball tournament.

"I guess there was quite a ruckus when everybody's phones went off."

Behind the place of the pickleball tournament was an old bomb shelter from World War II, which is now a museum. The door was locked because the opening time is 10 a.m. Deana said they were all ready to bust down the door but were waiting for an announcement to see if it was real or not. She said they were all scared.

The Mainil's said that as the day went on they heard reports of the different things people did in response to the alert including putting kids down manholes, and people generally panicking. However, the alert was a mistake. An American defence employee had accidentally pressed the wrong button during a shift changeover.

"Poor guy, I did feel sorry for him," said Deana. "I guess he has been getting death threats and stuff which is a little ridiculous in my mind. It was an accident and not much you can do about it."

Deana also said that if a missile was really coming, the only real place they could have gone is maybe that bomb bunker but they are not panicked easily.

Things have now calmed down as people start to make fun of the situation. Deana and Dale have heard a song played on the radio in Hawaii a few times since the event, which someone wrote making light of the situation about still being alive.

The Mainil's continue to enjoy their vacation in Hawaii including taking the opportunity to play golf.