A White Island aerial view after the volcanic eruption. Photo / George Novak
A first responder to the Whakaari-White Island disaster has described the frantic emergency response in the minutes and hours after the volcano erupted.
Detective Sergeant Simon Nolan gave evidence at a coronial inquest into the disaster which killed 22 people and seriously injured 25 others on December 9, 2019.
Nolan said police first heard about the eruption when White Island Tours general manager Patrick O’Sullivan dialled 111 at 2.16pm, two minutes after the eruption.
A recording of the phone call was played for the court.
“I’m calling from White Island Tours in Whakatāne, I need to report that White Island has just had a volcanic eruption, and we have people who are out at the eruption,” O’Sullivan said on the recording.
“We have three boats out there at the moment.”
One of those tour boats was The Phoenix, which had witnessed the eruption moments earlier.
“Maritime Radio at 2.37pm issues an all station mayday requesting any vessel in the vicinity to assist with the evacuation,” Simon Nolan recounted.
That call prompted The Phoenix and several other nearby boats to rush to the island.
One vessel, the Cova Rose, responded that it happened to have two Singaporean civil defence staff on board and would make for the island.
News of the eruption quickly spread among authorities.
Three Westpac Rescue Helicopters from Auckland and three more rescue helicopters from Tauranga, Hastings and Taupō soon made their way to Whakatāne Airport.
At the same time, police sent an Eagle Helicopter to monitor the island, and officers travelled to the Whakatāne wharf alongside St John and Fire and Emergency to prepare for the survivors being transported by boat.
Within the hour, The Phoenix had arrived at the island and was helping injured victims on board.
Another nearby boat, The Gambler, pulled alongside it and provided blankets, water, towels and first aid kits.
“It’s 2.54pm now [and] The Phoenix departs Whakaari for Whakatāne with its original 32 passengers and 26 victims rescued from the island,” Nolan explained.
That included all the people from the first White Island Tours group and the Volcanic Air Safari group, referred to during the inquest as Group 1 and Group 3.
A second White Island Tours group, Group 2, was further inland.
“At 3.30pm The Phoenix pauses its return journey to receive two St John paramedics. They begin providing medical assistance.”
At the Whakatāne Wharf, emergency services were scrambling for The Phoenix’s arrival.
“At 3.37 further emergency service responders, vehicles and equipment from St John, FENZ and police arrive at the wharf,” Nolan said.
“A decision was made to relocate the staging area to the opposite side of the boat ramp … the floating wharf … because it would appear to be lower and easier.
“At 4pm the staging area is reinstated to its original position following advice from the harbourmaster who advised that the size of the White Island Tours vessels would prevent them from docking at the floating wharf area.”
The Phoenix arrived at the wharf soon after, coated in a layer of grey volcanic ash.
Footage of the boat’s arrival showed dozens of emergency staff converging on the boat to help the victims off.
Many of the passengers were shirtless, Nolan noted.
“In that image, the people you can see without their tops on are actually passengers from The Phoenix who have taken their clothing off to assist with the care of those that are injured and keeping them warm,” he said.
Meanwhile, another White Island Tours boat, Te Puia, had arrived at the volcano alongside the Cova Rose.
The two Singaporean civil defence staff from Cova Rose rushed to help one of the survivors from Group 2, 19-year-old Jesse Langford, who was moved on board Te Puia and taken to Whakatāne Wharf.
Jesse Langford was the only survivor to be taken on Te Puia, the others were transported by helicopter. He was one of just three people from Group 2 to survive their injuries.
The inquest continues on Tuesday afternoon with evidence from vulcanologist Professor Shane Cronin.