What was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime became a terrifying experience for a Gatineau, QC, couple travelling across South America.Geneviève Plouffe and Martin Audette were violently attacked by armed assailants while parked near the Panama Canal on October 28, leaving them shaken but grateful to be alive.The couple, who call themselves "Jajadabus" on social media, had decided two years ago to sell everything they owned in Canada and buy a bus, which they spent 18 months converting into a mobile home. They planned to spend the next five years travelling across the continent..Vaping on the rise after Quebec banned flavours.However, that dream took a terrifying turn when the pair was inside their parked bus watching TV with their dog. Plouffe said they heard someone banging on the door. When Audette approached, he was confronted by three men posing as police officers who demanded entry."I never thought for a minute that I would survive," Plouffe told CBC News..OH NUTS!: Grieving owners claim jealousy led to Peanut the squirrel's death.When Audette refused to open the door, the men started shooting. Plouffe tried calling for help but said she was hung up on six or seven times.The men then dragged Audette outside and beat him with a hammer and the butt of a gun. Others entered the bus and held Plouffe at gunpoint, threatening her life as they demanded money..OLDCORN: Mainstream media lost touch with Saskatchewanians."He was screaming, 'Where is the cash?'" said Plouffe. "Another one arrived with a big machine gun. He put it in my mouth and a cushion in my face."At one point, Plouffe could no longer hear her husband's screams and feared he had been killed.The assailants eventually left, and police arrived 30 minutes later..Regina School Board Trustee candidates clash over Parents' Rights.It took paramedics four hours to get there.Audette suffered bruising all over his body and multiple cuts to his head that required stitches. He also lost an earlobe and a tooth in the attack.The morning after, Plouffe contacted the Canadian Embassy in Panama for assistance but said she was disappointed by the response."The only thing that they can do is send us a link for a private lawyer, send us a link to ask the Government of Canada for help, for money," she said, adding it's been six days since she submitted a form for financial assistance and has not heard back..France to ban nicotine pouches.Global Affairs Canada told CBC News it is aware of the assault on the Canadian citizens and is in contact with local authorities and the victims to provide consular assistance, but could not share further details due to privacy concerns.Now, Plouffe and Audette are focused on their physical and mental recovery while determining how to return home to Canada safely. Plouffe said their South American adventure is over."My journey right now, today, it's finished. I'm very not interested to go somewhere else or to travel right now, but I think it's normal," she said. "We are alive... It's the most important thing."
