All three area college students who were studying abroad in Egypt have safely left that strife-torn country.
David Watkins, 21, a University of Cincinnati junior from Sidney, Ohio, arrived in Prague early this morning, said his mother, Julie Watkins. He was studying at Alexandria University in Alexandria, Egypt, through Butler University in Indianapolis.
His next hurdle is the winter storm plaguing much of the United States. He will be in Prague at least a day and is making arrangements to fly to Cincinnati.
Two Miami University students enrolled at the American University in Cairo have also left Egypt.
The student who wanted to return to the United States is en route, according to Claire Wagner, a Miami spokeswoman. Academic advisers and departmental faculty are securing spots for him in courses at Miami.
"The second student is en route out of Egypt and will stay in Europe while he works with our international education advisers to secure a spot in a program, either in Europe or another location that aligns with his needs," Wagner said in a statement.
The university has not released their names.
Meanwhile, Watkins' family spoke with him about 5:30 a.m. Prague time Tuesday.
"We did get to Skype with him," Julie Watkins said. "That was the first time he had Internet for a long time. He looked tired. He was glad to get a real shower and real food. He hadn't had anything but chips and candy bars."
Watkins had been at the Alexandria airport for more than 30 hours. He had expected to leave on a earlier flight to Athens, but the plane en route from Cairo with other American students was denied access to land at Alexandria.
Ultimately, Middebury College in Vermont and Butler University hired a private firm to fly their students to Prague.
"They were relieved and just glad to be out, but he's anxious to go somewhere else," Julie Watkins said. "I think he's going to come home for a week and see if he can get into a program somewhere. He doesn't want to waste the opportunity."
With many other Arab countries undergoing unrest, she said, he's looking at Jordan or Lebanon.
Watkins had planned on an immersion experience in Egypt, where he was studying Arabic. He had just begun the program Jan. 20 and was to finish May 27. Those plans were thwarted because of the massive protests against Egypt's authoritarian president, making it a dangerous climate for the American students.