An American couple who were celebrating their honeymoon with a visit tothe New Zealand volcano that erupted on Mondayhaven’t been heard from since they last left a harrowing voicemail to their family, revealing they had been badly burned.
The families of Matthew and Lauren Urey are desperately searching for the Virginia couple after their last form of communication indicated that they were hospitalized for severe injuries from the volcanic eruption,The Washington Postreports.
“[Matthew said] there had been a volcano eruption and they were burned very bad[ly],” Barham shared. “He said he would try to call as soon as he could, but talking and making phone calls was difficult.”
“His hands were so badly burned it was hard for him to make a phone call,” she added.
Lauren and Matt Urey.Facebook
Prior to learning about the voicemail, Barham said she received a call from Royal Caribbean, the company that owns the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship, which was touring the island at the time of the incident, asking if she had heard from her daughter.
Sadly, Barham had not, but revealed to thePoston Monday that Matthew and Lauren were on the cruise ship celebrating their honeymoon, nearly two months after tying the knot. She added that the pair “weren’t concerned about possible eruptions.”
“Obviously, I’m panicking. I don’t know how to act,” she told the outlet. “I feel like I should be crying, but I can’t even cry.”
White Island volcano.MICHAEL SCHADE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The Richmond couple were two of the 47 unassuming people who werecaught up in the fatal volcanic eruptionon White Island just before 2:15 p.m. local time.
Of those people, 38 were on the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship — 37 passengers and 1 crew member — while the others were comprised of locals and overseas tourists.
New Zealand Policeconfirmed on Tuesday local time that the incidentleft at least five people dead and 31 others hospitalized, while eight still remain unaccounted for in the wake of the eruption.
Those still missing are believed to be dead, according to apress release from NZP, which said authorities have been tirelessly searching the island with rescue helicopters and that “no signs of life have been seen at any point.”
“Police believe that anyone who could have been taken from the island alive was rescued at the time of the evacuation,” a spokesperson for the NZP said. “Based on the information we have, we do not believe there are any survivors on the island.”
White Island.John Boren/Getty
After the eruption, authorities said survivors were transported to seven hospitals across the country, including Whakatane Hospital and Middlemore Hospital, for “specialist care.” Three patients have since been released from Whakatane Hospital, but no identities have been released.
During apress conference on Monday, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addressed the situation and confirmed that police were actively searching for those still unaccounted for.
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GeoNet, a site that provides geological hazard information for New Zealand,announcedthat they suspended the broadcast of their webcams of the volcanic eruption, as well as photos of the moments before the incident amid rescue operations.
White Island is New Zealand’s most active volcano, according toGeoNet. More than 10,000 people visit the volcano every year, despite its activity, GeoNet said.
The volcano has previously erupted in 2016, 2012, and from December 1975 to September 2000, which was the longest historic eruption episode, GeoNet reports.
source: people.com
