Arr, a lass from America be claimin' she thought she'd meet Davy Jones durin' the fiery trial o' New Zealand volcano!
2023-07-12
Arr, a Yankee traveler set sail to New Zealand on a grand ship o' Royal Caribbean. But lo and behold, when a mighty volcano burst forth its fury in 2019, she feared death be near! A tale of trepidation, mateys!
In 2019, an American couple, Lauren and Matt Urey, traveled to New Zealand on their honeymoon. They were among the 47 people on White Island when the volcano erupted, resulting in the deaths of 22 individuals. The couple returned to New Zealand to testify in the trial of three tourism companies and three directors charged with safety breaches over the disaster.During their testimony, Lauren Urey revealed that she had expressed her love to her husband and believed they would die during the eruption. The couple provided video statements to the police, describing their experiences and the chaos they witnessed.
Lauren had expressed concerns about visiting a live volcano beforehand and was assured by a guide that an early warning system would alert them before any eruption. However, when the plume of the eruption became visible, she panicked, and they both ran for their lives.
The couple endured severe burns and spent weeks in hospitals. They claimed they were not given any warnings or advice about the dangers of an eruption and were not informed about the volcanic alert level.
Matt Urey stated that he would never have risked the tour if he had known about the eruption risk. He described the physical and emotional toll the incident had taken on both of them, with Lauren undergoing numerous surgeries and skin grafts over the past three years.
The trial involves charges against the island's owners, tour operators, and management companies. If found guilty, the companies could face significant fines. The trial is scheduled to last for 16 weeks and is being heard by Judge Evangelos Thomas without a jury.