A White Island survivor who suffered burns to 80 per cent of his body in the explosion has shared his painstaking fight to recover movement in his hand.
Jake Milbank was working as a tour guide when the volcano erupted off the coast of Whakatane on New Zealand s North Island on December 9, 2019 - claiming the lives of 22 people.
He spent four months in hospital after the devastating blast and made 25 trips to the operating room during his stay.
But 14 months on, the 20-year-old is bracing to undergo yet another painful surgery as he struggles to regain function in his badly-burnt right hand.
Monday, 18 January 2021, 11:34 am
Irene Chapple and Annie Goldson’s new film
The
Eruption: Stories of Survival has been picked up by
UK-based TVF International for global
distribution.
The documentary, on the deadly eruption
of Whakaari / White Island on December 9, 2019, offers very
personal insights into the tragedy, which killed 22 people
and injured 25.
The events of the day and its
aftermath are told through the eyes of the White Island
Tours’ guides, rescuers, first responders, local iwi Ngati
Awa and others who were directly involved.
TVF
International is the leading independent distributor of
quality documentaries, and Catriona McNeish, Head of APAC at
By Reuters Staff
3 Min Read
WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand on Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of the volcanic eruption on White Island that killed 22 people, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern describing the tragic event as “devastating” for the country.
The eruption on White Island, also known by its Maori name of Whakaari, left nearly all survivors struggling with severe and long-term injuries.
“In a nation that has experienced so much pain and loss in recent times, 9th December 2019 was devastating,” Ardern said at a commemoration event in Whakatane, a town close to the island.
She sent a message of love to survivors and affected families and thanked the first responders and medical professionals who helped.
A White Island survivor who suffered burns to 80 per cent of his body in the explosion on his 19th birthday has shared never-seen-before pictures from his recovery.
Jake Milbank was working as a tour guide when the volcano erupted off the coast of Whakatane on New Zealand s North Island on December 9 - claiming the lives of 22 people.
He spent four months in hospital after the devastating blast and made 25 trips to the operating room during his stay.
The 20-year-old marked the one-year anniversary of his recovery on Christmas Day by sharing a photo of the moment he took his first steps from his hospital bed.
New Zealand marks one year since volcanic eruption killed 22 In this Dec. 11, 2019, file photo, plumes of steam rise above White Island off the coast of Whakatane, New Zealand, after a volcanic eruption on Dec. 9. New Zealanders commemorated the first anniversary on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020 of the volcanic eruption which killed 22 people. (Source: AP Photo/Mark Baker, File) By Associated Press | December 9, 2020 at 3:17 AM EST - Updated December 9 at 3:17 AM
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - A woman whose son was killed in a volcanic eruption in New Zealand a year ago said that as she stood crying, wailing and calling out his name on a beach soon afterward, a stranger came up to her and held her.