Whakaari/White Island: Tour guide Hayden Marshall-Inman was heading back to help people when he died

Thursday, 12 December 2019

Mark Inman, the brother of tour guide Hayden Marshall-Inman, said he is frustrated at the 'red tape' stopping him from retrieving his brother's body from Whakaari/White Island.

In the moments after Whakaari/White Island erupted Hayden Marshall-Inman's concern was for the tourists.

His last known footsteps show he was going inland to help, according to one of the helicopter pilots who helped save lives.

The news is not surprising to his brother, Mark Inman, who told Stuff on Thursday morning that his brother would do anything to help people.

'[H]e was the last one off the boat, from all accounts, [and] from what I've heard from Tom the pilot), his footsteps were going back to help on White Island.

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'He was a true hero.'

Hayden Marshall-Inman was remembered as a hero by family and friends at his funeral on December 20.

Inman said he's heard several tales from people who knew his brother, and a few stories about the lives he saved.

When Inman lived in Saudi Arabia, his brother saved a man who knocked his head and fell in the water during a whale-watching trip.

He would also buy lollies on the sly for his nieces and nephews, and their school mates, a fond memory they shared with Inman on Wednesday night.

'He had a love for kids, for people, a passion for the outdoors, he loved his job, loved the ocean.'

Minister of Police, Stuart Nash, on Wednesday said authorities would not allow access to the island because of safety concerns.

Inman was also reeling from the news they received the night prior, a refusal to allow him to privately recover his brother's body.

He emailed Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's office saying he would like her to pardon his actions if he staged a personal recovery.

'With the current conditions of sunshine baking and decomposing his body, he's going from a situation where we could have an open casket to now more likely not having a body at all – due to your government's red tape and slow decision making,' Inman said in the email.

Staff from Ardern's office said they passed his message to police minister Stuart Nash. But on Wednesday night, Nash said in a press conference that a family member's request to go onto White Island had been turned down.

Nash confirmed a letter had been received, but said authorities would not allow access to the island because of safety concerns. He did not refer to Inman by name.

'The last thing we want to do is to have further casualties in what is already a significant tragedy,' Nash said.

Inman said if Nash is going to criticise, he 'better up his game, too'.

'I appreciate the sensitivity around the bodies and their states, we have to be careful and respectful, but we have to get them home,' Inman said.

'There's been two perfect opportunities to go out there and we haven't gone.

'Red tape, bureaucracy, leadership, has failed.

'We're trusting the experts that sit behind a desk making calls based on statistics, when you've got two pilots and a bunch of volunteers who go there every single day and know the island inside out, saying 'let's get it done'.'