Entertainment
Couple recall horror of volcano erupting during honeymoon leaving them with serious burns: ‘I thought this is it, we’re going to die’-Pierra Willix-Entertainment – Metro
The Whakaari eruption killed 22 people.
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Survivors caught up in the terrifying Whakaari volcano eruption in New Zealand will be speaking about their near-death experience in a new Netflix documentary.
THE VOLCANO: Rescue from Whakaari is a minute-by-minute account of what happened when the volcano started erupting on the island as boatloads of tourists were visiting on December 9 in 2019.
The documentary will chart a ‘minute-by-minute account’ of what unfolded, whilst also celebrating the survivor and ‘everyday people who courageously came to their rescue’.
The trailer begins with one of the 47 people there when it happened sharing that it was a ‘beautiful day’, and they could ‘feel the heat’ from the volcano.
Tourists said that they hadn’t been made aware of how dangerous it could be, while another woman, presumably one of the tour operators, said that she knew there was a risk but ‘you don’t believe it will happen’.
Using videos taken by those there, the moment the eruption happens is captured on camera, as are the panicked reactions as people start scrambling to try and get away.
Lauren Urey was on Whakaari when the volcano erupted (Picture: Netflix)
Matthew and Lauren Urey suffered significant burns (Picture: Christopher Oquendo for DailyMail.com)
Matthew six months after the eruption (Picture: Christopher Oquendo for DailyMail.com)
Lauren six months later (Picture: Christopher Oquendo for DailyMail.com)
An American couple, Matthew and Lauren Urey, then share that they were on their honeymoon at the time, but ‘thought we were going to die’.
Matthew endured burns on 80 percent of his body, while Lauren had burns on 25 percent of hers, which are seen in the trailer as they hold hands.
Other people who were there start to share their accounts too, saying ‘the heat alone was unbearable’, while explaining that the burns started going through people clothes.
Matt and Lauren had significant burns after the eruption (Picture: Facebook)
Many of the people on the island that day were badly burnt (Picture: Christopher Oquendo for DailyMail.com)
As one of the first responders recalled: ‘We were dealing with people who were going to die within the next hour.’
‘This is the stuff nightmares are made of,’ added another.
As the emergency unfolded, it was made clear more help could not be sent as it was far too dangerous, and those there were essentially left to look after themselves.
Thick smoke from the volcanic eruption of Whakaari, also known as White Island (Picture: @sch/ Twitter)
‘I came to the realisation that no-one was coming,’ one person said.
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The eruption killed 22 people and an additional 25 people were injured, with the majority severely burned.
The documentary is directed by Downfall: The Case Against Boeing filmmaker Rory Kennedy and executive produced by Hollywood heavyweights including Leonardo Di Caprio and Ron Howard.
THE VOLCANO: Rescue from Whakaari will be streaming from December 16 on Netflix.
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