New Zealand - White Island volcano erupts, 19 dead, many injuries from cruise excursion, 9 Dec 2019 *charges*

[Sleeper75]

This is absolutely horrifying!

 

[SouthAussie]

A team of divers has been deployed to search the waters surrounding White Island in the hopes of finding the bodies of the two tour guides who died fleeing the eruption ...... which are believed to be New Zealanders Hayden Marshall-Inman and Tipene Maangi.
One of the bodies was seen floating in the waters during a reconnaissance mission on Tuesday, however, Commissioner Bush said conditions were too severe to attempt to retrieve it.

'We do believe that at least one of them is in the water and the other one we are unsure, so that only leaves two possibilities.. they're on the island .. or they too are in the water,' he said.
'We will continue to put every effort into locating the two remaining people.'
Divers start scouring the water surrounding White Island to search for missing Kiwi tour guides | Daily Mail Online

This article also names the 6 people who have been recovered this morning ... 2 from Coffs Harbour, 2 from Brisbane, 1 from Adelaide, and 1 from Melbourne.

 

[Betty P]

In regards to Yellowstone, since you brought it up. I truly believe that some day a geyser is going to blow boiling hot water all over people. People treat the wild animals there like they are tame pets in a petting zoo. I believe that more people will be killed by animals there in the next few years.

The difference with Yellowstone is that the park has experts who constantly observe and measure seismic and other activity in the area. When things get risky, they close public access to those areas.

From what I read, the scientific experts had observed signs of imminent volcanic activity at White Island, but had no authority to close public access to it. All they could do was warn the tour companies who ignored the warnings. JMO, the owners of those tour companies deserve a severe criminal penalty.

 

[whitelilac]

^
One of the two pilots who flew their helicopters to rescue 12 still alive people, recognized his friend Marshall-Ingram dead on the ground.

So how is it that that he at least is not found, and possibly is in the water ?

"Storey voiced frustration at being barred from recovering the Whakaari bodies, having discovered a friend, tour guide Hayden Marshall-Inman, dead when he was there.

“I came across a guy there I recognised. He was beyond help,” he told New Zealand’s TV3. “I just pulled him out from where he was and made him as comfortable as I could so he is there when we go back to get him."
New Zealand helicopter pilot describes horror of volcano rescue

 

[SouthAussie]

Presser right now - Jacinda Ardern is being asked about the work being done to care for the victims.

... focus has been making sure that they receive the very best, immediate care that they need in the aftermath of this tragedy.
..... all but one of the Australians who were injured have been medivacced back to Australia.
... there was a huge amount of courage required for those involved in the rescue to do what they did today.
... felt an enormous duty of care as New Zealanders to make sure that we brought their family members back.

New Zealand volcano eruption: dive teams search for two bodies off White Island – live

 

[LadyL]

^
One of the two pilots who flew their helicopters to rescue 12 still alive people, recognized his friend Marshall-Ingram dead on the ground.

So how is it that that he at least is not found, and possibly is in the water ?

"Storey voiced frustration at being barred from recovering the Whakaari bodies, having discovered a friend, tour guide Hayden Marshall-Inman, dead when he was there.

“I came across a guy there I recognised. He was beyond help,” he told New Zealand’s TV3. “I just pulled him out from where he was and made him as comfortable as I could so he is there when we go back to get him."
New Zealand helicopter pilot describes horror of volcano rescue

yeah that's a strange discrepancy

 

[SouthAussie]

Police liaison officers have been provided to the families of victims of the tragedy, Ardern says. Social workers are also working in hospitals to assist those who have been caught up in this disaster.
New Zealand volcano eruption: Jacinda Ardern pays tribute to team who recovered bodies – live

 

[SouthAussie]

yeah that's a strange discrepancy

That was a report from the Daily Mail - who said it 'was believed' that the two NZ tour guides were still missing and named the 6 recovered people.

The Daily Mail could have made an error in their 'belief' and in their naming.

The PM Jacinda Ardern refused to name the recovered people in her presser, presumably because they have not yet been formally identified and/or their families were not yet fully advised. At the time of the presser (and the Daily Mail's article) the recovered people were still aboard the HMNZ Wellington and were scheduled to be brought to the mainland sometime this evening.

New Zealand volcano eruption: Jacinda Ardern pays tribute to team who recovered bodies – live

 

[SouthAussie]

Ch7 TV News:
6 men, 2 women made up the volunteer team who performed today's recoveries. Mostly all from the bomb squad, as they are accustomed to wearing the heavy protective equipment required for them to step foot on the steaming, acidic island.

Six hearses have now delivered the recovered people to the Auckland hospital, driving slowly by police with bowed heads.

 

[oviedo]

New Zealand crews face toxic volcanic gasses
A harrowing operation in New Zealand is recovering the remaining victims of Monday’s deadly volcano eruption. Teams in HAZMAT suits and gas masks scoured the floor of the White Island crater. Six bodies were removed Thursday, but two remain. The death toll stands at 16. Ramy Inocencio reports.
New Zealand rescue crews face toxic volcanic gasses

 

[BeachSky]

^
One of the two pilots who flew their helicopters to rescue 12 still alive people, recognized his friend Marshall-Ingram dead on the ground.

So how is it that that he at least is not found, and possibly is in the water ?

"Storey voiced frustration at being barred from recovering the Whakaari bodies, having discovered a friend, tour guide Hayden Marshall-Inman, dead when he was there.

“I came across a guy there I recognised. He was beyond help,” he told New Zealand’s TV3. “I just pulled him out from where he was and made him as comfortable as I could so he is there when we go back to get him."
New Zealand helicopter pilot describes horror of volcano rescue

BBM

Possibly covered with ( buried under) more (aftermath, erupting) ash
or pushed down to water by the moving lava. I have no idea. JMO

 

[JerseyGirl]

At least eight additional people were killed in the eruption, with the total death toll from the disaster believed to be at least 16.

Of those who were able to escape the island, at least 26 remained hospitalized on Thursday with burns over at least 30 percent of their bodies.

6 Bodies Retrieved Near New Zealand Volcano. Ground Search Halted for 2 More.

 

[SouthAussie]

Police divers and navy divers are returning this morning to look for the last two missing people.

Yesterday, right before the rescue mission started, the families were taken on a boat about 1km away from the island and a Maori spiritual ceremony was held for their loved ones. Then the families were returned to the mainland to wait.

Bodies collected by grim row of hearses

 

[Hatfield]

The injuries must be devastating. Even if some of them managed not to get skin burned as much as others, the issue of the poisonous sulfuric type gasses in that ash cloud that encompassed the area around the crater probably forced a lot of them to breath in those bad gasses into their lungs. Burning and scarring their lungs. Uggggg.

I think some of them may have had gas masks provided by the tour (i read some of the tours provide these) but once the eruption happened I suspect a lot of them were not able to put on their gas masks or maybe even if they had them on, those poisonous gasses may have been too much for the type of masks they had.

I have tried using those cheap white colored mask filters when mowing the grass on a dry day when the dust is awful from the mower and the cheap masks like that have minimal effect. Im sure the tours may have had better ones than those, but still. Plus when you do anything physical (like mowing grass or running from an erupting volcano), the problem is you are doing so much activity that you almost dont care about the mask and it gets in the way.
So I suspect even if some of them had masks, they probably were not able to keep them completely sealed around their face which allowed poisonous gasses into their lungs.

Its all so horrifying to think about.

 

[Pi Thoughts]

The son of two Australians injured in Monday's Whakaari/White Island eruption says the timeline for his parents' recovery is uncertain and they could face months in hospital.

Sydney couple Nick and Marion London have now been flown back to Australia for treatment after leaving New Zealand in a critical condition earlier in the week.

They have burns to 50 per cent of their bodies and internal chemical burns from breathing in toxic gases, Australia's Sydney Morning Herald reported.

They remain on life support and face an uncertain recovery timeline, son Matt told the newspaper.
White Island: Son tells of 'long road ahead' for parents Nick and Marion London with 50% burns

 

[Gardenista]

BBM

Possibly covered with ( buried under) more (aftermath, erupting) ash
or pushed down to water by the moving lava. I have no idea. JMO

There was no lava.

 

[SouthAussie]

There was no lava.

Maybe one of them somehow dragged the other into the water to get some relief from the burning?

Water also plays a part in traditional Maori burial.

The water ritual closely resembles similar rituals in Christianity; indeed, both religions believe water symbolizes cleansing and purification.
Water, again, plays a major role for those present once they leave the burial grounds.
Traditional Burial Rites for the Maori - SevenPonds Blog

 

[SouthAussie]

Divers haven't been able to find the two missing people yet ....


The recovery operation is now focused on a ravine that carries water off the island.

“We know that we’ve got two bodies missing,” Clement said. “And we haven’t quite got the detail yet but it’s possible that there’s been quite heavy rain since Monday afternoon.
“The evidence suggests they’re in that ravine, but they’re not there and they haven’t been there since we started our [surveillance] overflights.”

The seventh body was sighted in the water in the aftermath of the blast but was unreachable due to swells.

Clement said police weren’t ready to rule out the eighth body being on land, adding he “would leave either scenario open”.
“But if it’s on land, it’s not visible on the surface. So we’ve got to work through the possibilities with regard to where it might be.”
New Zealand volcano: 21-year-old Australian is first recovered victim to be named

 

[SouthAussie]

And the death toll is rising, TV news has just stated that another person has died from their injuries.

The person was being treated in NZ. No further identification of the newly deceased person yet. Death toll now at 15.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

And the death toll is rising, TV news has just stated that another person has died from their injuries.

The person was being treated in NZ. No further identification of the newly deceased person yet. Death toll now at 15.

Is that plus the 2 missing (presumed dead) tour guides, so 17? What a horrible nightmare this is.