Two young women from Ireland, Samantha Johnson and Saorla van Heerden, experienced a horrifying ordeal during their recent vacation in Albufeira, Portugal. The friends, both aged 20, were enjoying a spontaneous getaway when a taxi driver forced his way into their hotel room, leading to a shocking confrontation.

The incident unfolded after a night out when Samantha and Saorla decided to take a taxi back to their hotel. As they approached a taxi, the driver informed them that payment was only accepted in cash. Saorla offered to retrieve the cash from the hotel after the ride, while Samantha stayed in the taxi to assure the driver that they would not flee without paying. What was meant to be a simple taxi ride quickly turned sinister.

Once the driver exited the vehicle and approached Samantha, he unexpectedly grabbed her and put her in a headlock. Samantha later recounted her shock and confusion, asking the driver if he was okay as he dragged her toward their hotel room where Saorla had gone to collect the cash.

As Saorla returned, she was horrified to find Samantha in a headlock, prompting her to intervene. “I forcefully ripped him off, but he kept coming back to her,” Saorla reported. Despite their efforts to reason with him and get him to leave, the taxi driver persisted in his aggressive behavior, attempting to kiss Samantha, and later Saorla as well.

The situation escalated as both friends shouted at him to leave. In a moment of desperation, they managed to push the intruder out of their room and quickly locked the door behind him. Saorla shared the aftermath of the encounter, saying, “I ended up throwing up and Sam passed out on the bed.” Both women were understandably shaken, with Saorla describing the experience as a blur due to the shock.

To raise awareness about their frightening encounter, the duo took to TikTok, where they shared their story, garnering over 90,000 views, and encouraging others to take precautions when traveling. They emphasized the importance of safety, particularly in unfamiliar environments.

As a precaution for their future travels, Samantha stated, “We're going to order Ubers from now on because they seem like the safer option. And we lock the doors at all times.” While the experience affected them differently, with Saorla feeling particularly anxious about the encounter, they both expressed concerns about potentially encountering the same driver again during their stay in Portugal.