Locals paying their respects in Whakatāne as the bodies of six people were recovered from Whaakari/White Island after the December 2019 eruption. Photo / NZME
When Whakaari/White Island erupted on December 9, 2019, members of the military sprang into action.
Four days later, a team of New Zealand Defence Force explosive ordnance disposal operators landed on the island, putting their own lives at risk to try and recover the bodies.
They faced extreme heat and lethal gases and fatigued quickly as they had to wear cumbersome protective clothing and breathing apparatus.
Now, the New Zealand Defence Force serviceman who led the recovery operation has been honoured for the role he played in recovering six bodies in exhausting conditions.
The serviceman was given The New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration for Services to the New Zealand Defence Force in the Queen's Birthday Honours today.
He cannot be fully identified due to his role in the NZDF and is referred to in honours documents simply as Serviceman M. He was unavailable to speak to NZME.
Serviceman M led the ground recovery team involved in the body recovery operation from Whakaari/White Island after the eruption, which killed 21 people and injured another 26.
While the majority of the people who were on the island at the time of tragedy were rushed off the island by White Island Tours vessels and private helicopters which had flown to the scene, eight bodies remained.
Four days after the eruption, a team of New Zealand Defence Force explosive ordnance disposal operators landed on the island, putting their own lives at risk in a bid to recover the bodies.
The eight-strong team – made up of six men and two women – were a mixture of NZDF medics and bomb disposal operators who specialised in chemical, radiological and biological devices.
According to honours documents, Serviceman M led the ground recovery team from E Squadron (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) to conduct planning at the emergency operations centre in Whakatāne, before embarking on HMNZS Wellington for the recovery operation.
He liaised with the agencies involved and provided technical guidance to ensure the most effective and safest course of action was established.
He was involved in further detailed planning for cadaver assessment and decontamination processes.
Initially, Serviceman M and his rescue team medic went ashore on Whakaari to place monitoring and diagnostic equipment to test the environment, to ensure the recovery team had the right protective equipment to safely carry out the task.
He then led the recovery team on to Whakaari, retrieving six of the eight remaining victims.
"The operating conditions on the island were extreme with heat and lethal gases, while dressed in cumbersome protective clothing and breathing apparatus that quickly exhausted those involved," the honours documents said.
He kept his team focused in the harsh conditions, ensured forced rest periods were taken and reallocated tasks as fatigue set in, which helped the team manage their exhaustion to complete the task.
He ensured six bodies were recovered off the island and determined the other two victims could not be found, before withdrawing the team to the ship.
Serviceman M supported the subsequent police search operation for the missing two victims over the following days.
The bodies of two victims- Kiwi guide Hayden Marshall-Inman and teenage Australian tourist Winona Langford - were washed out to sea following the eruption and remain missing.
The six bodies recovered from Whakaari/White Island landed at Whenuapai airbase, in Auckland, late December 13.
A row of hearses was lined up alongside the tarmac ready to take the bodies to Auckland Hospital, where post-mortems were conducted.
On the day, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the day was all about reuniting the families with their loved ones.
"Many families said how important and special that was to them. We know reunification won't ease that grief. But we felt an enormous duty of care as New Zealanders to bring them back."
She had said there was a huge amount of courage from those who played an integral role in returning people.
NZME has previously spoken to the leader of the body recovery mission, then referred to as Captain C.
At that time, the leader revealed they had been warned there was a 50-60 per cent chance the volcano would erupt again during their dangerous mission and he was happy with the results of the mission.
"This is something that I can look back on now with a bit of pride that I managed to do and achieve it. I think a lot of the team has that view as well. Although a fairly challenging task, we did what we had to do."