A newlywed couple caught in a deadly volcanic eruption in 2019 have spoken to a New Zealand court amid an ongoing trial.
The eruption on White Island, also known by its Maori name, Whakaari, killed 22 people and injured a number of others on December 9.
The island’s owners, brothers Andrew, James and Peter Buttle; their company Whakaari Management Ltd; and tour operators ID Tours NZ Ltd and Tauranga Tourism Services Ltd, went on trial yesterday in Auckland District Court for allegedly failing to adequately protect tourists and staff.
This morning, US man Matthew Urey spoke in court, with his wife Lauren Urey taking the stand this afternoon.
The couple were on their honeymoon during their trip to White Island.
Lauren Urey told the court the last few years had been “extremely hard”, Stuff reported.
She had undergone dozens of surgeries, with another scheduled for later this month.
She also claimed the couple had been impacted beyond their injuries, telling the court she was classed as “high risk” for having children.
“I thought we were in good hands, and I thought we were safe,” she said.
She said she would not have gone on the island if she had known it could erupt.
Lawyer for ID Tours David Neutze asked if she had read the brochure for the tour, which described White Island as New Zealand’s most active volcano.
Urey said she had compared the risk to that posed by “active volcanoes” in the US that did not erupt, such as in Hawaii.
She said the group was not told what to do if there was an eruption.
Earlier, Matthew Urey told the court he suffered burns to 53 per cent of his body, Stuff reported.
The worst were on his lower arms and legs, face and neck, where he was not covered by clothing, he said.
He said he had been told to wear closed-toed shoes, but that he would have been better off if he had also worn a long shirt and pants.
Urey claimed the safety briefing didn’t take place until the tourists were on the island, and that he was still left with no real understanding of eruption risks.
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They were told White Island was at “level two”, but that the numbering system wasn’t explained.
“Never in my wildest dreams would I have gone on that island if I knew eruption was level three,” he claimed.
He said he and his wife wanted to relax on their honeymoon and weren’t looking for thrills.
Videos of the Ureys speaking to detectives have also been played to the court.
Matthew Urey said the group was on the way back from the crater when somebody yelled “look” and the guide said “run”, Stuff reported.
On their way back to the boat, the group stopped and hid behind a rock.
Urey said he remembered his flesh burning, and described it as a burning hot wave of pitch blackness.
After they made it to a dock, Urey said they were taken onto a boat, but he didn’t receive any medical treatment until they reached shore, 90 minutes later.
Lauren Urey said in her interview that she asked a tour guide about the risk of an eruption, but was told not to worry, Stuff reported.
She spoke about the moment she and her husband were engulfed by the eruption.
“He screamed in agony, I’ve never heard him scream like that before. I remember him saying sorry, and me screaming in agony,” she said.
“I just thought for sure we were going to die and I just wanted him to know that I loved him and so I just held onto his hand and I kept telling him I loved him.”
Lauren Urey said in the video interview she was still seeking help for depression and PTSD.
Yesterday, prosecutor Kristy McDonald accused the Buttle brothers of choosing not to seek expert advice about eruption risks.
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