Whakaari/White Island: Indonesian doctors on fishing holiday raced to help victims

Tuesday, 10 December 2019

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern briefs the media Tuesday morning following the eruption of White Island, killing at least 5.

Two Indonesian doctors on a chartered fishing trip raced to help victims of the deadly Whakaari/White Island eruption.

Moments after the explosion, as their ship's radio came alive with reports of injuries, the pair armed themselves with medical kit as the skipper of their boat hurried to get them to the volcano.

Once on the island they found themselves in a 'war zone', Enchanter Fishing Encounters owner Lance Goodhew said.

The doctors were aboard the Cova Rose for a five day fishing charter.

'It was horrific, just horrific.'

**READ MORE:

Skipper Rhys Lark raced two Indonesian doctors to White Island to help the victims of the eruption.

* Whakaari/White Island eruption: live blog

* Whakatāne Hospital 'like a war zone'

Enchanter Fishing Encounters owner Lance Goodhew says anyone would have done what his friend did.

* What we know of the people missing, injured, or dead**

Goodhew said the group's vessel Cova Rose, skippered by Rhys Lark, was a few miles off the island when the eruption occurred.

A still image from video showing the eruption from above.

The doctors were part of a group of five on a five-day charter and had spent Sunday fishing around the island, before spending the night on the boat.

As soon as the disaster struck, they told Lark they were doctors and wanted to help. Lark raced them back to the island.

'They had blankets and an advanced medical kit that we always keep onboard.'

Called a Scale 1 Medical Kit, it included medicine, bandages and slings.

'We have to handle most everything we could come across with an injury 100 miles off New Zealand, we have to deal with our own injuries out there.'

While Goodhew didn't want to go into the details of what Lark had told him of what they saw on the island, he said the rescue party were shaken.

'He [Lark] knew there were fatalities … the people who were being treated firsthand had severe injuries … it was horrific.'

The party did everything they could do help and once the formal rescue efforts were underway returned to the CovaRose.

'By then the injured people were being ferried off the island and they couldn't do anymore.'

The men have continued on with their holiday and were 'down off the East Coast' fishing.

'It was good they could help out, that's just what you do isn't it?'