Volcano turned island into ‘horror movie’, court told

Rex Martinich | July 12, 2023

An American couple who were badly burned during a New Zealand volcano eruption have told a criminal trial they would never have taken the tour if they knew the risks.

The Auckland District Court on Wednesday held its second day of hearings for a WorkSafe NZ prosecution relating to the Whakaari-White Island disaster that resulted in the deaths of 22 people including 14 Australians in 2019.

The island, in the Pacific Ocean southeast of Auckland, was a popular destination for tourists and cruise ship passengers.

Matthew, 40, and Lauren Urey, 36, started their honeymoon Royal Caribbean cruise in Sydney and were two of the 47 people on the island when the volcano erupted just after 2pm on December 9, 2019.

The couple travelled to Auckland to give evidence in person and Mrs Urey said her body was left “sizzling” after she was hit by a wave of steam, ash and falling rocks.

Mrs Urey said she had felt paranoid before touring the island as it was due for an eruption on a three-year cycle but was comforted by tour guides telling them they would have a 10-minute warning.

Instead the couple had to scramble behind a large rock after their guide saw black smoke coming from the crater and told them to run.

“The force of the gas and ash was unbelievably strong and just coming at you and I can’t imagine what it would be like without the rock,” Mrs Urey said in a videotaped police interview played to the court.

Mrs Urey said she suffered burns to 23 per cent of her body and had skin grafts on her legs, hands, stomach, back and scalp along with sustaining near-fatal lung damage.

After the ash cloud cleared, Mrs Urey said the island was transformed into a horror movie scene with people calling for help and screaming in agony.

“Some people were literally jumping onto (inflatable) boats and pushing people out of the way … we missed the first boat as I just had no energy and was in so much pain,” she said.

The island’s three owners, Andrew, James and Peter Buttle and their company Whakaari Management Limited, have been accused of breaching health and safety regulations.

Two companies that arranged for tourists to access the Island, ID Tours and Tauranga Tourism Services Limited, are also on trial.

Under cross-examination from barrister for ID Tours NZ, David Neutze, Mrs Urey agreed that she read the brochure about the island housing New Zealand’s most active volcano but said she would 100 per cent have refused to go if she knew there was a risk of eruption.

“I thought we were in good hands,” she said.

Mr Urey said he had no prior idea of the risk and was told by guides that the island’s volcanic activity was at level two.

“I would never in my wildest dreams have gone on that island knowing that eruption was level three,” he said.