MANILA, Philippines - On May 27, 2001, a breathtaking island hideaway in Palawan was visited by a nightmare. Gunmen from the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf stormed the beach of the Dos Palmas Island Resort and rounded up 16 tourists and four of the staff.
Among them were Americans Martin and Gracia Burnham, who were there to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary. After looting the hotel, the Abu Sayyaf escaped via speedboat across the Sulu Sea to Basilan taking along their captives.
Over the course of a year, some hostages escaped, some were killed, and some were released. But the Burnhams, along with captive Deborah Yap, were held for 376 days until Scout Rangers located the terrorist group and opened fire. Only Gracia would survive.
Ten years after the military operation in 2002 that ended the highly-publicized, year-long hostage ordeal, GMA News TV airs the History Channel documentary Come Home Alive: Paradise Lost which offers a first-hand account by survivor Gracia and expert analysis on the crisis and the bloody fire fight that ended it.
Come Home Alive: Paradise Lost airs on GMA News TV Channel 11 on July 29 at 9:55 p.m.