White Island/Whakaari

We watched a well put-together documentary on Netflix yesterday, about the eruption of Whakaari/White Island, an active volcano off the Bay of Plenty coast. It was a tragedy, in that 22 people lost their lives. I remember the December 2019 eruption clearly as my New Zealand friend was visiting from Canada, and had made the call not to take the tour, as she considered the recent rise in activity unsafe – a fortunate decision. However, the tour companies operating made no such decision that day. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but if my friend could see that the island was unsafe, one would think that the tour companies could as well. Sometimes one wonders if greed becomes the bottom line in such decisions. Yes, people want to take the tour, to keep their bookings but not if there is a risk like that involved. The people trust these companies to make the right decision.

But the real reason I am writing this blog this morning is my dismay at a decision that was made after the volcano’s eruption. The Chief of Police announced that rescue helicopters could not fly to the Island as it was deemed too risky to do so. Two helicopter pilots ignored this advice and flew anyway. Search and rescue personnel on their way from Auckland, turned back. What really got me was the fact that there were all these severely injured people still left on the Island. What were they meant to do? Die? A boat load of people, including some of the injured, had already set off for shore, a one-hour trip away. We weren’t told about the second boat whose passengers were on the Island at the time of the eruption. Some of them could have been taken ashore too, but there were still many injured left on the Island when the helicopter pilots landed. Once they realised that no further help was forthcoming, in the way of medics on the rescue helicopters, these pilots were forced to transport the remaining alive and severely injured 12 back to shore. It must have been a horrendous scene. Only two of these survived.

The army transported the dead out the next day. Two people remain missing.

I was so angry watching this and seeing the Chief of Police preventing the helicopter pilots from flying out. Without immediate help, all these people would have died, such was the extent of their injuries. And for those that did so anyway, at least they died knowing that someone was trying to help them. It was the same with the Pike River mining disaster near Greymouth in 2010 where 29 miners lost their lives. A rescue team was never allowed to re-enter the mine after the initial explosion as it was deemed unsafe. If there are men out there prepared to risk their own lives to rescue others, then surely, they should be allowed to do so, which in this case, there were. If it is the fear of being sued that the Police Chief is worried about, perhaps these heroes could sign a disclaimer before they attempt the rescue, but to leave people to die is unthinkable. With the Pike River disaster, we were told that the men would not have survived the initial explosion, but we don’t know that definitively. If it was me in one of those situations, I would hold on to the hope that rescue would be on its way. That would be what would keep me alive. With every rescue there is a risk. We see this often on the mountains, when hikers become stranded due to deteriorating weather. But if there are people willing to risk their lives to carry out one of these rescues they should be allowed to do so.

Thank heavens for these brave helicopter men in the White Island tragedy. One pilot was awarded the New Zealand Bravery Star (second highest bravery award) while six other pilots were awarded the New Zealand Bravery Decoration (third highest award) for ‘’their exceptional courage in rescuing victims of the eruption’’.

Worksafe has filed charges against 13 parties in relation to the tragedy.