Grayslake Senator In Hawaii During False Missile Alert

GRAYSLAKE, IL – Sen. Melinda Bush, D-Grayslake, was in Hawaii visiting family when the emergency notification popped up on her phone. It is the same alert tourists and locals across the island state received Saturday morning: "BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL."

"I seriously thought this could be the end of my life," Bush told the Chicago Tribune. "It was terrifying."

Bush considered calling her adult son to tell him she loved him and to say good-bye, but decided to wait to hear if the missile attack was real, according to the article. Instead, she called Washington, D.C., and waited for 20 minutes before learning the alert was believed to be false, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The emergency notification lit up cell phones across Hawaii Saturday, falsely warning that a ballistic missile was inbound and causing residents already nervous about threats from North Korea to panic. Emergency management officials in Hawaii said the message was sent in error.

• Hawaii Goes To Panic Mode As False Missile Warning Issued

It took 38 minutes before an alert was issued letting the public know the initial missile warning was a mistake, according to the Washington Post. And as many now know, the mistake occurred when a Hawaii emergency employee was supposed to conduct an internal missile alert. The employee had two options to pick from a drop down menu on a computer program: test missile alert and missile alert. He mistakenly selected the actual missile alert, according to media reports.

Photo credit: Senator Melinda Bush Facebook page