A man and his girlfriend were driving to the beach when they received a warning on their cellphones that said a missile was on its way to Hawaii, and shortly after, the man suffered a heart attack. He is now suing the state, saying the alert triggered the medical emergency.

It was revealed 38 minutes later by government officials that the alert was sent by accident and was a mistake, but on that Saturday morning, James Sean Shields and Brenda Reichel believed it to be true. They decided that there was not much that they could do to protect themselves and that if they were going to die that they want to do so at the beach. (The state has advised people to shelter indoors.)

The couple both called their children to say their final goodbyes. Reichel’s son is a member of the Hawaii Army National Guard, and he said the threat was real, further confirming their belief that the missile alert was not a drill.