- Title: New Zealand pilot recounts retrieving injured victims after volcano eruption
- Date: 12th December 2019
- Summary: OFF WHITE ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND (DECEMBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) 31 YEAR-OLD COMMERCIAL PILOT JASON HILL, SAYING: "So obviously, look, say there was a lot of ash on the ground, and up flying falling from the sky still, certainly was still very active and not erupting like the initial eruption, but it was still spewing out a lot of gas and ash and obviously we just went about to help those injured people." SMOKE SPEWING FROM VOLCANO (SOUNDBITE) (English) 31 YEAR-OLD COMMERCIAL PILOT JASON HILL, SAYING: "(The people we rescued were in) various states, but doesn't matter how they were, we were just there to help them and that's all. We told them we were there to help and we will get them off the island as soon as we possibly could." ISLAND IN WATER AS SEEN FROM COCKPIT (SOUNDBITE) (English) 31 YEAR-OLD COMMERCIAL PILOT JASON HILL, SAYING: "And it was just an unfortunate thing, but at the same time, it was lucky that they had a lot of good, willing people that were prepared to put their lives on the line to help those people. I'm only a very small percentage, I would only put myself down at least one percent of the people that have helped on this island and the reason the paramedics, back on shore. They have done an awesome effort trying to keep those people for their loved ones and trying to help them get better." SMOKE SPEWING FROM VOLCANO (SOUNDBITE) (English) 31 YEAR-OLD COMMERCIAL PILOT JASON HILL, SAYING: "Oh, definitely, it's definitely, definitely going to affect the business for the company. Obviously this is our main role here in Whakatane is coming out here, but that's not really the main priority at the moment. We'll worry about that when we get to that, once we get these loved ones back to their families and obviously, hopefully, all those people in hospital do get better." ISLANDS IN WATER AS SEEN FROM COCKPIT HILL PILOTING HELICOPTER/ ISLANDS IN WATER AS SEEN FROM COCKPIT WHAKATANE, NEW ZEALAND (DECEMBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) VIEW FROM HELICOPTER APPROACHING COAST VIEW FROM HELICOPTER APPROACHING LANDING HELICOPTER LANDING HILL LOOKING AT CONTROLS HILL OPERATING CONTROL HILL EMERGING FROM HELICOPTER SIGN ON HELICOPTER READING: "KAHU THERE AND BACK SINCE 1998" HILL GIVING THUMBS-UP AND GETTING INTO HELICOPTER HELICOPTER TAKING OFF
- Embargoed: 26th December 2019 09:30
- Keywords: Volcano White Island aerials eruption helicopter
- Location: WHAKATANE, OFF WHITE ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND
- City: WHAKATANE, OFF WHITE ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND
- Country: New Zealand
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Earthquakes/Volcanoes/Tsunami
- Reuters ID: LVA003B9O54XZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING
Just after the volcano on New Zealand's White Island erupted on Monday (December 9) commercial helicopter pilot Jason Hill flew into the danger zone to help rescue survivors and the injured.
At least eight people have died and eight more are missing and presumed dead, buried under ash and debris.
The 31-year-old pilot, who has been flying commercially for the past eight years with the Kahu helicopter company said he transported five victims off of White Island in the aftermath.
"There was a lot of ash on the ground… certainly still was very active and not erupting like the initial eruption, but it was still spewing out a lot of gas and ash," said Hill.
He said he only played a small part in the rescue: "I'm only a small percentage, I would only put myself down at least one percent of the people that have helped on this island."
There were 47 people on the island, also known by its Maori name Whakaari, at the time of the eruption. Twenty-four of those were from Australia, nine from the United States, five from New Zealand, four from Germany, two each from China and Britain and one from Malaysia.
Since the eruption, emergency teams have been barred from accessing the island due to the threat of more volcanic activity. But the police are planning a mission to White Island on Friday (December 13) to retrieve bodies.
For those like Hill who rely on tourists for their livelihood, a deadly and active volcano is bad news.
"We'll worry about that when we get to that, once we get these loved ones back to their families and obviously, hopefully, all those people in hospital do get better," said Hill.
Daily tours bring more than 10,000 visitors to privately owned White Island every year, marketed as "the world's most accessible active marine volcano".
(Production: Yiming Woo, Jorge Silva, James Redmayne, Masako Iijima) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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