'So massively burnt’: Man who helped volcano victims recalls horrific scenes
A pastor who was touring New Zealand’s White Island just minutes before a volcano erupted has detailed the moment ‘horrifically burnt’ victims fled plumes of smoke and ash.
Geoff Hopkins, from Hamilton in New Zealand, was visiting the island, also known as Whakaari, with his daughter Lillani, a Geology student, for his birthday when the explosion occurred around 2pm on Monday.
The 50-year-old said they had just boarded their boat and were drifting past the island again to have another look when smoke began to spew into the air.
“The ash just rolled up over the rock face and as it rolled over, it just suddenly became quite menacing,” he told The New Zealand Herald.
As the ash began to fall to the ground, Mr Hopkins said he could see people running toward the ocean trying to escape.
An inflatable boat with crew members rushed back and forth to the island to help survivors flee, placing them on the tour boat.
Two doctors on board and Mr Hopkins and Lillani, who both have first aid training, tended to the victims as they were offloaded by the boatload.
"They were just so massively burnt," Mr Hopkins told the publication.
He said because many people were wearing shorts and T-shirts, a lot of their skin had been exposed to the elements.
"But there were also huge burns under people's clothes. So their clothes looked fine, but when you cut them off … I've never seen blisters like that,” he said.
Mr Hopkins said he didn’t see anyone who didn’t have some kind of burn injury.
Victims drifted in and out of consciousness as they screamed in pain, Mr Hopkins said, adding that he now fears those were critically injured didn’t make it.
He said he spent most of his time comforting a young newlywed couple who were severely injured.
“There were five critical people on our boat and there's been five fatalities confirmed … they were just so badly burnt."
NZ volcano death toll could rise
Three Australians are feared to be among five people killed in the eruption, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday.
Eleven Australians are still unaccounted for and 13 others have been hospitalised.
"This is a very, very hard day for a lot of Australian families whose loved ones have been caught up in this terrible, terrible tragedy," Mr Morrison said.
"I fear there is worse news to come over the course of perhaps today or over the next few days," Mr Morrison said.
"This is a terrible tragedy, a time of great innocence and joy interrupted by the horror of that eruption."
Thirty-one people were admitted to hospital, at least three stayed overnight.
After a frantic search for information on Monday, police now believe there were 47 people in two groups on the volcano at the time of the blast.
New Zealand authorities have done a reconnaissance mission and determined that nobody on the island could still be alive.
The extent of the injuries suffered by the 13 Australians hospitalised is unknown.
Deadly NZ volcano eruption 'not a total surprise', expert says
Newlywed couple among missing Aussies following volcano eruption
Australians that are still unaccounted for
Young couple James Whitehouse, 23, and Madeleine Whitehouse, 24, were holidaying in Auckland New Zealand on Monday, and have been listed as unaccounted for on the New Zealand Red Cross website Restoring Family Links.
The website allows families to register their concern for people they believe could have been caught up in the eruption.
A family of four from North Sydney are also among Australians who feature on the list as missing; Anthony and Kristine Langford, and their two kids Jesse, 19, and Winona, 17.
Another Australian couple yet to register their safety are Amy Miall, 30, from Brisbane and Mathew Thomas, 31, from Tamworth.
Australians listed on the Family Links site as alive include, Maree Fish from Brisbane, Eloise Kirk from NSW, and Ian Jorgensen from Penrith in NSW.
Family and friends say Whakatane tour guide Hayden Marshall-Inman was among the people killed in the New Zealand volcano disaster.
His brother Mark Inman wrote on Facebook that Mr Marshall-Inman had passed away "doing the one thing he loved".
"Friends and family, very sad news this evening," he wrote.
Police are yet to confirm the names or nationalities of any of the deceased.
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