In December 2019, a volcano 30 miles off the coast of New Zealand erupted, claiming the lives of dozens of tourists and tour guides. The eruption sent thick plumes of toxic smoke and ash thousands of feet into the air, while rocks and boulders were blasted around the island.
White Island – also known by its Māori name Whakaari – is New Zealand’s most active cone volcano, and had previously erupted in 2012, 2013, and 2016. The roughly 800-acre island was a popular tourist destination before the tragedy, with access granted to several designated tour operators.
The day of the eruption has now been recalled in a new Netflix documentary. From director Rory Kennedy and executive producer Leonardo DiCaprio, The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari hears from survivors and those involved in the rescue operation, many of whom were tour operators or commercial pilots.
READ MORE: How many people died in the White Island volcano eruption and can you still visit Whakaari?
How many people were on White Island when it erupted?
47 people were on the island at the time of the eruption, including tour guides and many tourists from around the world. They included people from Australia, America, New Zealand, Germany, China, Britain and Malaysia.
38 of those were passengers on a shore excursion from the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship, which was on a 12-day voyage around New Zealand. Almost half of those on the island died as a result of the eruption, either dying on the island or later succumbing to their injuries.
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34 people were rescued from the island on the day of the eruption, with many suffering severe burns and taken to hospital in critical condition. Over the days, weeks and months following the eruption, the death toll eventually reached 22 as many victims died as a result of their injuries.
Here are the tales of some of the survivors of the White Island eruption.
Jesse Langford
One of the most heartbreaking stories from the day is that of 19-year-old Jesse Langford, who was visiting the island with his parents Anthony, 51, Kristine, 46, and sister Winona, 17. Jesse estimates his tour group was 100-150m away from the point of the eruption.
In the documentary, he recalls being the only member of his family physically able to escape the volcano, while his father was sat up struggling with his gas mask, his mother lay unresponsive on the ground, and his sister was nowhere to be seen. Jesse was able to stumble away and find help to escape the island, but admits leaving his family was “the toughest thing” he ever had to do.
He was taken to hospital where he ended up in coma. When he woke a week later, his grandfather broke the news that his family had died on the island.
His sister’s body was never found and believed to have been swept out to sea. Jesse had suffered burns to 90 percent of his body, and was unable to attend the funeral of his mother and father, instead watching from the hospital.
Kelsey Waghorn
Kelsey, a White Island tour guide, was wearing a T-shirt, shorts and hiking boots on the day of the eruption, and suffered third-degree burns to 45 percent of her body. She was leading a tour group back to a jetty on the island as the volcano erupted.
She said her brain went into “overdrive” when she realised the gravity of the situation, immediately shouting for the group to run away. After being rescued from the island, Kelsey, now aged 26, spent 65 days in hospital where he was initially placed in an induced coma.
She has since undergone 14 surgeries and had to relearn to walk.
Matt and Lauren Urey
American tourists Matt and Lauren were on their honeymoon when they joined a tour group to visit White Island. In the documentary, the couple explain how Matt is an adventure seeker, while Lauren prefers a relaxing holiday on a beach.
Lauren admits she was anxious about being so close to an active volcano, and was relieved when the tour was nearing its end. They were walking away from the volcano when a thick black cloud of smoke came out of the volcano.
Matt said it “didn’t look intimidating” and even snapped a photo of the smoke. He heartbreakingly recalled believing his wife had died during the eruption, and said the moment she responded was “the biggest relief” he had ever felt.
Stephanie Browitt
Stephanie, then 23, was one of 38 people on an excursion from the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship. The Australian tourist suffered third-degree burns to 70 percent of her body and lost parts of her fingers as a result of the eruption.
She was airlifted from the island by one of the commercial pilots who instigated their own rescue mission when an official operation was delayed due to the dangers of White Island. She spent six months in hospital – two weeks of which were in a coma – and wore a compression mask over her face as part of her recovery.
Stephanie’s sister Krystal died on the island, while their father Paul died in hospital a month later.
Brian Depauw
Helicopter pilot Brian was a tour guide on the island, leading a group on his first day after training. He was leading a group back to a jetty when the volcano erupted, and was already relatively close to the shore.
His helicopter’s rotors were damaged during the eruption, and it was unable to fly. Given his location at the time of the eruption, Brian was able to jump into the ocean with two of his clients until the worst of the eruption had passed, and as such escaped any physical harm.
He was able to lead the tourists to a nearby jetty where other survivors had begun to gather to await help.
Lisa Dallow
Australian tourist Lisa was visiting White Island with her husband Gavin, 53, and daughter Zoe Hosking on the fateful day. She blacked out after the eruption and was later placed in an induced coma
Her father-in-law Brian Dallow told 7News Adelaide she only had vague memories of what happened following the eruption, including the screams, being hit by boulders flying through the air, and finally being lifted away by helicopter.
After two months in a coma, Lisa was told her husband and daughter were dead. Gavin’s funeral was held while Lisa was in the coma, Australian Broadcasting Corp. Reported.
Family members postponed Zoe’s funeral in the hopes Lisa would wake up and be well enough to attend.
Jake Milbank
White Island Tours guide Jake Milbank was celebrating his 19th birthday on the day of the eruption which claimed the lives of several of his colleagues. He suffered severe burns to 80 percent of his body caused by the 300C gas that erupted from the volcano.
He spent four months in hospital, two weeks in a coma, and underwent 25 surgeries. His body was covered from head to toe in bandages – including his entire face – and had rehabilitation to regain basic movements.
John Cozad
John Cozad, a 72-year-old from Australia, was on White Island with his son Chris, who was killed during the eruption. John’s wife Beverley stayed on the mainland to enjoy some shopping, and only learned what happened when she returned to the cruise ship the family were travelling on and received a phone call from her daughter, The Canberra Times reported.
Beverley described the tragedy as “the wrong place at the wrong time,” explaining how her husband and son booked the White Island tour as an optional activity while planning their trip six months earlier.
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