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On December 9, 2019, Whakaari / White Island erupted, taking the lives of 22 but seriously injuring many more. As the first anniversary approaches, Things Talk to a honeymoon couple whose lives were completely changed that day.
Whakaari’s survivors, Matt and Lauren Urey, had no way of knowing that their choice of clothing on the day of the eruption would shape the rest of their lives.
T-shirts or t-shirts? Shorts or pants? Denim or nylon? All choice permutations made by those on the trip. The sales brochure for the $ 648 Whakaari trip didn’t help. All he said to bring was a hat, sunglasses, and walking shoes.
The simple decision, which the other 47 people on the island took for granted, had far-reaching consequences for injury recovery, although it was impossible to know at the time.
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“We never think twice,” Lauren says, thinking about the morning of December 9th.
“We just dressed for the weather. It was about 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit). I run cold so I put on tights and sleeves. Matt is hot so he wore shorts and a T-shirt. “
Matt’s choice of clothing contributed to 54 percent of his body being burned. About 30 percent were third degree burns where the skin was exposed.
“I couldn’t feel any heat in my hands and legs because they were fried in the rash,” he says.
“I could only feel heat on my back, which was where I had suffered superficial burns.”
RNZ
The Minister for Safety and Workplace Relations, Michael Wood, is confident that WorkSafe has the right resources to prosecute individuals and organizations in connection with last year’s deadly eruption at Whakaari / White Island.
Despite his horrific injuries, Matt was able to get his new wife to the safety of the boat.
“He pushed me,” Lauren says. “I kept saying that I couldn’t go on and that I wanted to stop. He saved me. Saved my life. He’s a hero. “
Lauren, on the other hand, wore long sleeves and long pants, with a sweatshirt tied around her waist. He suffered burns on 23 percent of his body. About 15 percent were classified as third grade, and the majority were on their exposed hands.
Supplied / Matt Urey
In shorts and a T-shirt, Matt Urey suffered burns on more than 50 percent of his body.
Twelve months later, Matt discusses the clothing choices they made that morning.
“Ironically, I work in a factory that produces fire retardant clothing,” he says.
“A mention of the need for long sleeves or pants would have been a clue that this trip was more dangerous than it appeared.”
He has no doubt that if they had been wearing fire retardant clothing their injuries would have been significantly reduced.
“Flame retardant coveralls are not hard to come by,” he says.
Things
Lauren Urey had long sleeves, pants, and suffered burns on about 20 percent of her body.
He talks about seeing race car drivers engulfed in flames but suffering only superficial burns from the safety gear they wear.
Other survivors, with whom Lauren and Matt were side by side during the eruption, suffered minor burns from wearing heavier jeans.
The choice of clothing was not the only one that influenced his survival.
Choosing to take another photograph of the black smoke emanating from the crater or to follow the tour guide’s instructions to “run” made all the difference. Like the decision to take refuge behind a large fortuitous rock found during a revolt retreat.
Supplied / Matt Urey
Matt Urey captured this shot of black smoke emanating from Whakaari moments before he was told to run when the eruption occurred.
“That stone saved our lives for sure,” says Lauren.
The memory of the ash and steam pouring into their rocky refuge is still alive in the minds of couples. The newlyweds from the United States held hands, which had just put wedding rings on each other’s fingers, and got ready.
“I told him how much I loved him and I just didn’t let go,” says Lauren. “I thought this was our last moment. I just wanted to be found next to each other if we died. We were on our honeymoon. I never thought we could die together on our honeymoon. “
The last 12 months have involved bowel movements, triages, commas, skin grafts, and constant surgeries. Each surgery costs money and insurance coverage is a gamble, as they are classified as “cosmetic”. A trip to the mailbox brings with it the dread of accumulated bills.
“It’s hard to get surgeries approved and covered,” says Lauren. “It is extremely expensive to pay for things [In the United States]. “
The Ureys say there were large gaps in what they were told about Whakaari, which did not allow for a proper assessment of the tour’s level of danger and would have upset their decision to go that day.
“We never officially heard that it was at level 2,” he says.
“It wasn’t until we heard the tour guide say that we couldn’t go to certain areas during level 2. At that point, we were already on the island. We were trapped. “
Matt says the brochure mentions that Whakaari is an active volcano. But, by looking for this definition, an active volcano was shown to be one that has erupted at least once in the last 10,000 years.
I had no idea that the volcano had erupted in 2016, 2013, 2012, and 2000.
“There was no information on Level 2 volcanic levels or what that meant,” says Matt.
“Level 2 doesn’t sound bad until you realize that level 3 indicates that there is an ongoing eruption. It was a small detail that was vitally important. There is no way we would have gone to the island if we had known. “
Lauren says that the decision to allow people to enter the island in the first place was wrong.
“I don’t think it was thought of,” he said.
Supplied / Lauren Urey
Lauren Urey’s exposed hands were extremely burned from the rash and prevented her from working at her old job as a lab technician.
Lauren has lost the ability to work as a laboratory technician. They change forever, they have scars and they have to wear compression clothing and bandages to treat burns.
His uncertain future contains constant surgeries. There are still mental scars.
“In many ways, it was tougher on the family,” says Matt. “We were in a coma. It was hell after we woke up. I can’t imagine what it was like for our parents to see their children with burned skin. “
A year through hell and debt, and the Ureys seek to make another decision, to fight.
They want to hold those responsible accountable through a lawsuit and have filed proceedings against Royal Caribbean and ID Tours New Zealand.
His attorney, Mark Winkleman, specializes in cases involving cruise ships and cruise line companies.
Winkleman says the damage done to his clients and others is “catastrophic.”
“It is the legal obligation of the cruise ship to warn passengers of known dangers. Had [The Ureys] they knew there was a greater risk that they would never have set foot on that island. Should they offer tours during the week leading up to the eruption? “
Supplied / Matt Urey
The injuries to Matt Urey’s legs and arms were extremely serious when the fur covering was not used.
Part of the case lies in accusations of negligence in monitoring the safety of the trip, volcanic alert level and that the Ureys did not have any material to prevent burns.
“There are prints of where his clothes were,” says Winkleman.
The Ureys emphasize that their lawsuit is not against New Zealand nor does it reflect the attention they received while they were here. These are decisions taken not to alert the people who visit the island (and) the choice of protection for those who visited it.
“This is about justice for those who did not survive,” he says.
“We came out alive. There are 22 people who did not. We will fight for them. We are not going to give up. If we don’t win the first time, we will appeal. I will not give up until we get justice. “
supplied
Newlyweds Lauren and Matt Urey were on White Island when it broke out. They were taken to separate hospitals with burns.
