NZ White Island Volcanoe Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

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TheGreenGoblin
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NZ White Island Volcanoe Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#1 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Mon Dec 09, 2019 6:43 am

A volcano has erupted in New Zealand, leaving one dead and several unaccounted for, police have said.

Tourists were seen walking inside the rim of the White Island crater just moments before the eruption.

Police said 23 people had been rescued, but warned the number of dead was "likely" to rise. The area is currently too dangerous for a rescue operation.

White Island, also known as Whakaari, is one of the country's most active volcanoes.


Seven helicopters have been dispatched and it is rumoured that a number of tourists have been badly burned or injured.

View of the island from helicopter two years ago...

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Re: NZ White Island Volcanoe Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#2 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Mon Dec 09, 2019 7:22 am

Helicopters dispatched

Looks like a tourist helicopter was caught up in the eruption.
Damaged heli on the island.JPG
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Re: NZ White Island Volcanoe Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#3 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Mon Dec 09, 2019 10:06 am

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Re: NZ White Island Volcano Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#4 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Mon Dec 09, 2019 10:35 am

Volcanoe???

Volcano.
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Re: NZ White Island Volcano Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#5 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Mon Dec 09, 2019 1:55 pm

A damaged helicopter shown in footage of the island belonged to Volcanic Air, a tour company based in Rotorua. The pilot and four passengers were unharmed and returned to the mainland via boat on Monday afternoon, a company spokesman said.

“Volcanic Air has confirmed it had a helicopter on Whakaari/White Island at the time it erupted this afternoon,” a spokesman said. “Five people had flown to the island in the helicopter, but all are accounted for and have arrived back in Whakatane by boat.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/ ... st-present
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Re: NZ White Island Volcanoe Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#6 Post by FD2 » Mon Dec 09, 2019 6:45 pm

Local press reporting at least 5 dead and about 30 missing this morning (in NZ). Chasing the tourist dollar too vigorously again as we've seen a few times over the last five or ten years? Skydivers, Fox Glacier, wazzing up narrow canyons in jetboats and hitting rocks etc. Slack supervision by CAA Flight Ops in the past has been remedied by more inspectors and less back slapping between old mates. In this case someone - wait for the blame game - like the tourism minister Kelvin Davis, will have the bone pointed at him. It may well affect Labour's chances at next year's general election. The National Party will certainly make full use of it after the usual obligatory expressions of condolence.

Health and Safety can be a pain in the a*se at times but I wonder if anyone had carried out any risk assessment of flying tourists to a rumbling volcano. Will the insurance company shell out for Volcanic Air's AS350? Will there be a class action against the New Zealand Government for taking their eyes off the ball? Are conditions so bad that a rescue mission cannot be mounted to look for those missing or has health and safety reared its head at last? Tragically I suspect a lot of them will have been gassed and cooked alive by the eruption. As a tourist you would expect someone to have assessed these risks, because tourists can show the tendencies of lemmings to take part in any dodgy activity if they think the risks have been assessed. They would have in this case and on an expedition sanctioned by the cruise ship owners.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/arti ... d=12292364

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/118058 ... and-erupts

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Re: NZ White Island Volcanoe Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#7 Post by FD2 » Mon Dec 09, 2019 6:50 pm

Here is an example of health and safety being taken to stupid lengths:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/1 ... -decision/

Make the BBC submit to neutral supervision - don't ever get rid of it or you'll end up with wall to wall advertising like NZ 'free' TV!

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Re: NZ White Island Volcanoe Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#8 Post by Karearea » Mon Dec 09, 2019 9:36 pm

Footage in video at this link shows a rescue helicopter landing on White Island yesterday:

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/whi ... s-90-burns

Video runs about 1:42.

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Re: NZ White Island Volcanoe Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#9 Post by FD2 » Tue Dec 10, 2019 4:48 am

Tuesday afternoon NZ time, 5 dead, 8 missing and 31 in hospital. Police launch criminal investigation:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/arti ... d=12292540

I don't think this AS350 will fly again:
AS350 on White Island.jpg
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The island's owners:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/indust ... y-eruption

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Re: NZ White Island Volcanoe Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#10 Post by G-CPTN » Tue Dec 10, 2019 10:09 am

From the damage to the helo's rotor blades it suggests that it was flying at the time of its demise?

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Re: NZ White Island Volcanoe Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#11 Post by FD2 » Tue Dec 10, 2019 10:28 am

There were several flights to the island during and just after the eruption looking for survivors so hats off to those crews. I think it became obvious quite quickly that they would not be looking for survivors, so no more flights now until things have calmed down.

G-TN - not necessarily. It has been blown off its landing platform by the force of the eruption so easily enough force to bend the blades. We once left a Sea King overnight at Sumburgh Airport with the blades spread and a storm during the night bent one of the blades back like a banana, despite tie downs being fitted to all the blades. I think one knot wasn't tied very well and the rope just pulled through, but it was about 45 years ago so a bit foggy in my mind.

Sadly one survivor has now died bringing the total confirmed dead to 6, with some not expected to survive due to the severity of their burns. Eight still missing and 31 in hospital.

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Re: NZ White Island Volcanoe Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#12 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Tue Dec 10, 2019 10:48 am

A helicopter rescue pilot's review of the island mission.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/ ... -last-hope

A truly harrowing story.
Ardern praised the efforts of helicopter pilots who flew to the island shortly after the eruption to rescue people who were stranded. She said they had made “an incredibly brave decision under extraordinary, dangerous circumstances in an attempt to get people out”.
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Re: NZ White Island Volcanoe Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#13 Post by barkingmad » Tue Dec 10, 2019 5:59 pm

Thanks G G. My info was an early almost throwaway line on radio news. Looks like a major task to recover that 'frame once the casualties have been sorted and it's considered safe to bring in a heavylift chopper. Dunno if the Kiwis have Chinooks or similar.

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Re: NZ White Island Volcano Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#14 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:33 pm

FD2 wrote:
Tue Dec 10, 2019 10:28 am

We once left a Sea King overnight at Sumburgh Airport with the blades spread and a storm during the night bent one of the blades back like a banana, despite tie downs being fitted to all the blades. I think one knot wasn't tied very well and the rope just pulled through, but it was about 45 years ago so a bit foggy in my mind.
Left a GA-7 Cougar tied down with bollards and yoke lock at Tingwall airfield and departed the mainland for the island of Vaila. One of those Shetlands summer storms blew in and I received a call from the airfield to say that wind had bent the lock, damaged the yoke attachment and bent various pins in the control system. Took two days for the sea state to calm down to allow return to review the damage and another two days for engineer to fix damage and get the work signed off. As you say, the Shetlands is not a place to be taken lightly at any time of year.

With respect to the use of drones to reconnoiter White Island, preparatory to the helicopters returning to collect the bodies on the island it seems that the wind has not allowed their use and some of the helicopter community feel that the recovery approach taken by the authorities is too timid as helicopters could have flown in the last 24 hours.

I guess it is a very hard one for the relevant authorities to call as the volcano is still venting and showing the possibility of another eruption.
White Island's level of volcanic tremor significantly increased on Wednesday morning local time, said GeoNet, which assesses geological risk in New Zealand.

The tremor suggests that volcanic gas pressures remain high, the agency said.

Since around 4:00 am this morning the level of volcanic tremor has significantly increased at the island. This has been accompanied by vigorous steaming and localised mud jetting in several of the craters created by the eruption on Monday. We interpret these signals as evidence of continued high gas pressures within the volcano.

The situation remains highly uncertain as to future activity. Eruptions in the next 24 hours are still likely to occur.
https://edition.cnn.com/australia/live- ... index.html
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Re: NZ White Island Volcanoe Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#15 Post by FD2 » Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:41 pm

Goblin - I hope they find the bodies for the sake of closure for the relatives but I have my doubts after the ferocity of the eruption.

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Re: NZ White Island Volcanoe Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#16 Post by FD2 » Wed Dec 11, 2019 12:03 am


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Re: NZ White Island Volcanoe Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#17 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Wed Dec 11, 2019 12:40 am

FD2 wrote:
Wed Dec 11, 2019 12:03 am
Chasing the tourist dollar:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/118106 ... or-changes
That article is a shocking indictment of the NZ situation and the highlights the cavalier and slap dash approach to safety in the tourist industry. The government should be held to account and changes made as a result of the White Island disaster. The NZ "insurance scheme" is dirisory. I mean who will pay for the long term, maybe lifetime care the hideously injured tourists now lying in NZ hospital will require. Who will take responsibility for ensuring this kind of disaster is not repeated?

With respect to the unfortunates whose remains are being obliterated on the island it seems that the helicopter chief who made the initial air rescue has been openly dismissive of the recovery approach to date although as FD2 says the bodies may be irrecoverable now.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ctims.html
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Re: NZ White Island Volcanoe Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#18 Post by FD2 » Wed Dec 11, 2019 3:05 am

Goblin: 'although as FD2 says the bodies may be irrecoverable now'. Just speculation on my part based on this photo of a group of tourists (circled) walking around the floor of the crater just before the eruption sent the floor and surrounding matter up to about 12,000ft. The eruption was 'basically instantaneous' according to volcanologist Brad Scott: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/arti ... d=12292325

The pilot of the wrecked AS350, Brian De Pauw, had a group of four German tourists with him. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/arti ... d=12292884 Two who refused to get in the water with him were badly burned.



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Re: NZ White Island Volcano Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#19 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Wed Dec 11, 2019 5:57 am

errata dirisory = derisory compensation
FD2 wrote:
Wed Dec 11, 2019 3:05 am
Goblin: 'although as FD2 says the bodies may be irrecoverable now'. Just speculation on my part based on this photo of a group of tourists (circled) walking around the floor of the crater just before the eruption sent the floor and surrounding matter up to about 12,000ft. The eruption was 'basically instantaneous' according to volcanologist Brad Scott: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/arti ... d=12292325
Looking at that image I suspect that you are right FD2 and that some of the missing 8 might have been buried but pilot Mark Law indicated he marked the resting spot of some of the dead (vide. one of the tour guides) and these bodies might have been, or may still be recoverable. Given the length of time since the eruption this situation might not pertain now as ash has continued to fall, albeit in much smaller quantities.

The eruption may have been instantaneous (as one might expect from a hydro thermal situation on an island) but the volcano had been serving warning for months through tremors and increased sulphur dioxide emissions. Given those warnings nobody should have been anywhere near the crater.
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Re: NZ White Island Volcanoe Eruption - Helicopter Rescue

#20 Post by FD2 » Wed Dec 11, 2019 7:33 am

I can picture some lawyers trying to work out who to sue over this. It would be remiss to say the least if they allowed flights in when there is further evidence of more activity inside the island, even if it is bolting the stable door after the horse has bolted. I don’t doubt the pilot can identify the relevant spots and the upward blast may not have moved the bodies but they were simply burned to death by hot gas or steam where they were at the time.

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