West Berkshire family tend to New Zealand eruption injured

Father and daughter left White Island minutes before deadly eruption

A FATHER and daughter originally from West Berkshire were minutes away from being seriously injured in the volcanic eruption in New Zealand last week.

Geoff Hopkins and his daughter Lillani, who previously lived in Compton, were on a boat that left the Whakaari/White Island just minutes before it erupted and they then spent time caring for people with severe burns.

Mr and Miss Hopkins had been staring into the crater only half an hour before.

Forty-seven tourists were on the island, 30 miles from the east coast of the North Island in the Bay of Plenty, when the volcano erupted.

Eighteen people have been confirmed dead with at least 17 more being treated for severe burns.

The family lived in Compton before moving back to New Zealand and Mr Hopkins was a member of Newbury Baptist Church.

Mr Hopkins was the farm manager at the Pirbright Institute from 2008. Miss Hopkins attended The Downs School in Compton.

The family left Compton in 2016 for New Zealand and said they had many friends in Newbury.

Speaking to the Newbury Weekly News, Mr Hopkins said that his daughter had bought an excursion to White Island as a 50th birthday present for him back in June, but the trip was rescheduled following bad weather.

The father and daughter arrived on the island around 11.30am. Small inflatables were used to ferry people across to the island and they spent a couple of hours touring the island, heading right to the edge of the crater lake.

The pair boarded their boat and headed around the next cliff to the next bay to get one more photo opportunity of the crater.

Mr Hopkins said: "My photo is time stamped 14.07. As we turned around to head home the volcano erupted at 14.11. Initially it was a gasp of WOW! I can’t believe this is happening right in front of us. For Lillani to witness an eruption so close was every vulcanologists dream. However as the ash cloud rolled menacingly over the cliff and towards us we quickly realised the tragedy that was unfolding. We knew there was a tour group still on the island."

The tourists were ushered into the cabin and the boat headed back to the bay.

"By then the ash cloud had settled and we could see the island, the other tour boat and the crippled helicopter – all perfectly covered in monotone grey ash. We then could see people in the water and people on the shore," Mr Hopkins said.

The inflatables that had taken tourists to the island were now being launched as rescue vessels.

"As soon as the first survivors were on board they called for doctors, and there were two on board," Mr Hopkins said.

"By the time three or four survivors were on board we asked if we could help and he crew said ‘we need all the help we can get'."

Mr Hopkins and his daughter put their first aid training to use on the 23 survivors picked up by their boat.

"Every survivor was horrifically burnt," he said.

"We did what we could to pour fresh water on to burns, remove clothing and then try to prevent shock by keeping them warm. We had 23 survivors on board and then left the island to head back to the mainland. The crew in the inflatables stayed behind, and helped rescue others, along with several helicopters that flew over.

"On the boat, Lillani and I were separated – she worked at the back of the boat whilst I spent my time amongst the most critical and the front of the boat. I knew she was safe and confident that she could help those around us."

The tour boat, which was about 30 miles (75 minutes from the mainland), was met by the coastguard halfway back and paramedics came aboard.

On the way back to the mainland Mr Hopkins said the focus on the trip was keeping survivors warm and reassured, many were critical and in and out of consciousness.

Reaching the shore emergency services picked up the injured and transported them to hospitals and burn units around the country.

"When we began to treat people its like a switch flicks and you’re focused on what you are doing. It's not until we had got back to the mainland that we stopped and reflected on what had happened. It has been a life changing moment and something we won’t forget for the rest of our lives."

Mr Hopkins is now a pastor at a church in Hamilton.

He said: "believing that God protected us from the eruption, but used us to help others. At times like this our faith gives us hope to pull through difficult circumstances.

"Our prayers and thoughts are with those who did not make it, and pray for recovery for those in hospital. Unfortunately the death toll continues to rise as people rescued were so critically and severely burnt."