Focus: White Island eruption | Day 3 | 30 patients in six hospitals, 25 are in critical condition. Video / George Novak / Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust / Mark Mitchell / Ben Fraser / @sch / Tamara Josephine
The heartbroken brother of one of the White Island volcano victims has written to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern requesting to stage his own recovery operation of his sibling's body.
Mark Inman's brother Hayden Marshall-Inman was the first victim named from the horrific eruption at White Island.
Marshall-Inman worked as atour guide on the island and was described by locals as an "energetic young man" and valued member of the community who would regularly leave $5 at the local shop for those who needed it to afford groceries.
Mark Inman met Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern following the disaster and later sent her office an email asking to stage his own recovery of his brother's body. Police say conditions are too dangerous for emergency services to access the island at present, reports news.com.au.
An email Mark Inman, the brother of Hayden Marshall-Inman, wrote to Jacinda Ardern. Photo / The Project
"We met yesterday concerning my brother Hayden who is still on White Island 44 hours after the explosions," he wrote, in the email.
"With the current conditions of sunshine baking and decomposing his body, he's going from a situation where we could have an open casket to now more likely not having a body at all – due to your government's red tape and slow decision making.
"I am writing to ask for a pardon for my actions of a personal recovery."
Staff from Ardern's office said the message was passed to police minister Stuart Nash, writing: "It must be an incredibly tough time for you and your whanau. We have passed your email to the Minister of Police's office who will be in touch with you about the situation very soon."
The PM passed the email to the police minister, who denied the request. Photo / The Project
However on Wednesday evening Nash said the request had been denied because of safety concerns.
"The last thing we want to do is to have further casualties in what is already a significant tragedy," Nash said without mentioning Inman by name.
"We won't give anyone permission to go to the island, we need to understand the risk then we can work to mitigate the chances of anyone else being injured in this.
"The last thing we want to do is for people to risk their lives to go out to the island."
He said the request was "foolhardy, but I understand, out of frustration when in fact all they will be doing is putting themselves in greater harm."
Hayden Marshall-Inman. Photo / Supplied
Authorities have agreed questions must be answered in the wake of the disaster including why tourists were allowed to visit the island when the alert level had been raised from one to two in recent weeks. However for now, Nash said the priority remains victim recovery and identification.
"This is not business as usual, we need to understand the risk so we can mitigate the risk of any further fatalities."
Inman told The Project that a pilot had seen his brother's body and moved it onto a rise on the island. It's believed he was referring to Tom Storey, who had previously described the pain of having to make his friend comfortable and leave his body behind.
"We all know health and safety is important, but when health and safety starts to become a barrier to retrieval, that's when you get frustrated," Inman said.
