NEW ZEALAND -- A Lancaster County couple on vacation in New Zealand is counting their blessings.
The pair from Strassburg were right down the street from the two mosque shootings as they were taking place on Friday.
Rick Waller and his wife say they were driving to their hotel in Christchurch, New Zealand when they noticed something strange was happening.
“There were two policemen with machine guns and there was a woman walking down the sidewalk with no idea what was going on and they yelled at her to get off the sidewalk and into a building," said Waller.
The couple says they were stuck in traffic and weren't sure what exactly was going on.
“They had blocked off the road to our motel right in front of the motel and they were getting out their vests and their equipment out of their car and they were setting up," said Waller. “They had the driver and passenger get out of the car and they took their car, put the 4 way flashers on and went speeding off just like you see in the movies," he added.
Waller says when they managed to make it back to their hotel, half a block from one of the mosques, he and his wife walked into what seemed like a horror scene.
“Right near the entrance way there was a pile of bloody bandages, a pair of shoes and clothes,” said Waller. “There was a gentleman walking down towards the mosque and they shot him right here at the motel," he added.
Waller says he believes that ten minute delay in traffic saved their lives.
“If I would have made that turn we would have been in the parking lot unloading the car at the time this all unfolded," said Waller.