Themissing American couple,whose families hadn’t heard from after theNew Zealand volcano eruption,has been located.
ThePostreported that later on Monday, a hospital representative called to tell Barham that Lauren was in surgery in Auckland, recovering from burns covering 20 percent of her body.
Meanwhile, Matt had been taken to a hospital in Christchurch, and had burns covering about 80 percent of his body, the outlet said.
Lauren and Matt Urey.Facebook
Barham said that Matt’s mother told her about a voicemail he had left saying “there had been a volcano eruption and they were burned very bad.”
“He said he would try to call as soon as he could, but talking and making phone calls was difficult,” Barham shared. “His hands were so badly burned it was hard for him to make a phone call.”
White Island.John Boren/Getty
“Obviously, I’m panicking. I don’t know how to act,” Barham said. “I feel like I should be crying, but I can’t even cry.”
Barham had heard from the newlyweds earlier in the day, before their excursion from the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship to visit the active White Island volcano. Barham said the pair weren’t concerned about a possible eruption, despitereports warning of “moderate volcanic unrest”in the area in recent weeks.
Barham told thePostthat she is “livid” after learning of the warnings. “There’s been warnings about it… My son-in-law never would have booked the excursion if he knew there was any chance of them being injured.”
Both Barham and Matt’s mother are planning to fly to New Zealand to be with their children, thePostreported.
The Ureys were among the 47 people on White Island in the eruption, which took place at about 2:15 p.m. local time.
Like the Ureys, 38 of those people were on the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship — 37 passengers and 1 crew member — while the others were comprised of locals, local guides and overseas tourists.
At least five people were confirmed dead from the eruption, New Zealand Police said, adding in a press release Tuesday that they arecontinuing to searchfor the eight people who remain unaccounted for. In total, 31 people were being treated at seven different hospitals throughout the country,police saidearlier Tuesday, while three had been discharged from the Whakatane Hospital.
“Police believe that anyone who could have been taken from the island alive was rescued at the time of the evacuation,” a spokesperson from the NZP previously said. “Based on the information we have, we do not believe there are any survivors on the island.”
Nonetheless, the NZP’s “absolute priority” is “recovering the remaining victims and returning them to their loved ones.”
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“We are working together with local authorities, and we are providing all the help and care we can to our guests and their families, including offering medical resources and counseling,” the statement continued. “We are also sending staff members from both our ship and our Sydney and Auckland offices to assist family members however possible. Ovation of the Seas will remain in port as long as needed to assist with the situation.”
White Island, which is also known as Whakaari, is New Zealand’s most active volcano. It erupted in 2016 and 2012, and also erupted from December 1975 until September 2000, marking the longest historic eruption episode, according toGeoNet, a site that provides geological hazard information for the country.
source: people.com
