Long Islanders in Paris reported safe after terror attacks

A Farmingdale lawyer visiting Paris during the terror attacks described the experience Saturday as "surreal" and "very, very, very scary."

Dave Mejias, who served in the Nassau Legislature from 2003 to 2009, flew to the city to catch a U2 concert.

Friday night, he was having dinner with other U2 fans from New York in the Champs-Elysées neighborhood when his phone began buzzing with messages asking if he was safe.

"I found out pretty quickly what happened," Mejias, 45, said. "The manager of the restaurant was pretty scared."

The restaurant quickly shut down and Mejias rushed to his nearby hotel, which was locked down. After persuading the staff to let him in, he went to his room to watch the news and text his family. "There were the sounds of sirens everywhere. It was very surreal," he said.

While he was several miles from the restaurants, stadium and concert hall where the deadly attacks unfolded, Mejias said the fear of more attacks was palpable. "Not knowing if something else was going to happen, I was on high alert," he said. "It was very, very, very, scary."

U2's weekend shows were canceled. Mejias said there's nothing for him to do but wait until he can fly home Tuesday -- earlier flights were fully booked.

Other Long Islanders known to be in Paris on Friday were confirmed safe Saturday.

Stony Brook University had three students studying in the city and all have been located, said spokeswoman Lauren Sheprow.

About 30 Nassau County police officers visiting Paris also were unharmed. The officers, members of the nonprofit Holy Name Society, were part of an annual French tour hosted by the society. On Friday night, they were about 10 blocks from the Stade de France, or National Stadium, when a suicide bomber ignited his vest outside, the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association said."The group is safe and wishes to thank those that inquired about them," Nassau PBA president James Carver said in a statement. "They wish to state that they, along with all others, stand 100 percent behind the brave people of France."