Helicopter Pilot Testifies in Court about Escaping New Zealand Volcano Eruption
CANBERRA, Australia — In a harrowing testimony, a helicopter pilot recounted how he and two of his passengers managed to escape serious injury by jumping into the ocean when a volcano erupted in New Zealand in 2019, killing 22. The pilot, Brian Depauw, appeared in the Auckland District Court on Thursday to testify against three tourism companies and three directors who are facing charges of safety breaches over the deadly eruption.
Depauw, who hails from Belgium but speaks with an Irish accent, explained how he and four German passengers were among the 47 people on White Island when the volcano, also known as Whakaari, erupted with superheated gases. As the eruption unfolded, Depauw made the quick decision to guide his passengers to the water, believing it would be a safer option. “Run, run, run to the water. Follow me,” Depauw exclaimed, as described in a police video shown in court.
While Depauw and one of the couples managed to reach the water, two other passengers were engulfed by a cloud of hot ash and suffered severe burns. “The water is what saved us,” Depauw told the court, acknowledging that the situation could have been much worse if they had not made it to the ocean.
Depauw, who had been working for tour operator Volcanic Air for only a few weeks at the time, said he had not anticipated the eruption. He believed there would be warning signs before such an event occurred. It was later revealed in court that the volcano had erupted as recently as 2016.
During the escape, Depauw’s helicopter was also impacted by the force of the eruption, being blasted off its landing pad and sustaining damage to its rotors. However, the focus of the trial is primarily on the safety breaches committed by the tourism companies and directors.
The owners of White Island, the Buttle brothers, along with their company Whakaari Management Ltd., as well as tour operators ID Tours NZ Ltd. and Tauranga Tourism Services Ltd., have all pleaded not guilty to the charges. Other tour operators involved in the incident have pleaded guilty and will be fined at a later date. If convicted, each of the companies faces a maximum fine of 1.5 million New Zealand dollars ($927,000), while the Buttle brothers could face fines of up to NZ$300,000 ($185,000) each.
The trial, which is expected to span 16 weeks, has been adjourned and will resume on Monday for further proceedings. The court will continue to assess the evidence surrounding the safety breaches leading up to the volcanic eruption that claimed 22 lives.