Relatives of a family of four missing in the New Zealand volcano disaster believe only one of them has survived.
Anthony and Kristine Langford and their children Jesse, 19, and Winona, 17, set sail from Sydney last week on a Royal Caribbean cruise.
The family trip to New Zealand was supposed to be a celebration of Mr Langford’s 51st birthday but instead turned to unimaginable tragedy.
Anthony (right) and Kristine (second from right) Langford and their children Jesse, 19, (left) and Winona, 17, (second from left) set sail from Sydney last week on a Royal Caribbean cruise
Jesse (centre) was found in hospital, alive but with burns to 90 per cent of his body, but his parents (pictured with him) and little sister are believed to still be on the island
Jesse was found in hospital, alive but with burns to 90 per cent of his body, but his parents and little sister are believed to still be on the island.
Family who flew to New Zealand in a desperate search said they had found no trace of them and are losing hope.
An aunt of Winona and Jesse posted a family photo on Facebook in mourning, writing that they ‘don’t believe they have survived’.
Other family members said they believed the trio never made it off the island and were waiting on the bodies to be retrieved for DNA tests to confirm.
Jesse, along with all but one injured Australian, will be transferred to Australian an hospital by tomorrow to continue their recovery.
An aunt of Winona and Jesse posted a family photo on Facebook in mourning, writing that they ‘don’t believe they have survived’. Winona is pictured bottom left, Ms Langford second left, Mr Langford far right, and Jesse second right
Jesse with a family friend weeks before he and his family were caught up in the volcanic disaster
Ms Langford shared a photo of herself, her husband, and Jesse – presumably taken by Winona – of them about to board the ship.
‘My first post in a while. We’re off cruising on #royalcarribeancruise Happy birthday [Anthony Langford]. Bon voyage everyone!’ she wrote.
Jesse’s former principal at Marist College North Shore, Tony Duncan, asked parents and staff to pray for his safety.
‘Jesse, who graduated last year, was a talented and popular student during his time at the school, finishing up as MacKillop House captain.
‘Jesse has been a student at Marist since Year 7, with his family remembered fondly around the College. Please have the Langford family in your prayers.’
Mr Langford was a long-time employee of Sydney Water and his wife was a stay-home mother to the two children.
Ms Langford shared a photo of herself, her husband, and Jesse – presumably taken by Winona – of them about to board the ship
Siblings Winona Langford, 17 (left) is feared dead, and Jesse Langford, 19, is recovering in hospital
Winona shows off artwork of her pet rabbit alongside Mayor of Willoughby, Gail Giles-Gidney, at the local Pet Festival just weeks before her presumed death
So far nine Australians are confirmed dead or presumed dead, with their bodies either in hospital morgues or still on the island.
Sydney schoolboys Matthew and Berend Hollander, aged 13 and 16 respectively, died as they toured White Island with their parents Martin and Barbara on Monday.
The Knox Grammar students died in two New Zealand hospitals overnight after sustaining horrific burns in the eruption, bringing the death toll to 10.
Mr and Mrs Hollander are still missing but were not on the list of people NZ Police said were unaccounted for and not known to be in hospital or discharged.
Knox headmaster Scott James announced the deaths in a letter to parents in the early hours of Thursday morning.
‘Please take some time to reflect on the lives of Matthew and Ben and this devastating loss for our community.’
Martin (and Barbara Hollander are missing and their two children, Matthew (left, year eight) and Berend (right, year 10) died in the disaster
Mr James wrote that Matthew, a member of the Class of 2023, was involved in Cadets and represented the school in basketball, squash and debating and was elected as a mentor representative in 2018/19.
‘Matthew had a close circle of friends and was popular with his peers. He was always enthusiastic about life and was actively involved in school and year group activities,’ he wrote.
Martin Hollander (pictured) and his wife Barbara are missing but were not on the list of people NZ Police said were unaccounted for and not known to be in hospital or discharged
‘Ben was actively engaged in sports and co-curricular activities at Knox, developing a passion for AFL, cadets, CRU and his biggest passion, baseball.
‘He had a great love for the outdoors and camp. Ben was a compassionate and enthusiastic student, with an interest in software design.
‘Ben’s engaging smile and quirky sense of humour made him a good mate to his close group of friends and a welcome member to every classroom.’
Julie Richards, 47, and her daughter Jessica, 20, from Brisbane, were identified before their relatives were told by police on Wednesday morning.
The pair were touring the volcano on Monday as part of a cruise holiday around New Zealand.
Jessica was a promising Australian rules player and a veterinary science student at the University of Queensland’s Gatton campus.
Former Queensland MP, John Mickel, a friend of Ms Richards’ brother Michael, said: ‘The family are united in grief.
‘You live in hope it’s not going to be your loved one’s name that comes up,’ he said in a press conference.
‘But the hope was snuffed out this morning with the message from the New Zealand police.’
Julie Richards, 47, and her daughter Jessica, 20, from Brisbane, were identified before their relatives were told by police on Wednesday morning
Jessica (right, with mother Julie) was a promising AFL player and a vet student at the University of Queensland’s Gatton campus
Adelaide schoolgirl Zoe Hosking, 15, and Gavin Dallow, 53, were on a tour of White Island on Monday with the girl’s mother Lisa Hosking when the eruption started.
Ms Hosking was injured but her husband and daughter were killed, bringing the number of Australians confirmed dead to four with many others still missing.
Mr Dallow’s body was identified by police from the five bodies recovered from the island, but Zoe’s remains are still there and she is presumed dead.
Distraught family had clung to the small hope the pair made it off the island and were recovering with her, but learned the terrible news on Wednesday afternoon.
‘We mourn the loss of Gavin and Zoe. Gavin was a wonderful son and brother,’ a family spokesperson said in a statement.
Zoe Hosking, 15, has been killed in the New Zealand volcano disaster
She, her mother Lisa Hosking, 48, and stepfather Gavin Dallow (pictured together) went on a tour of White Island on Monday and have not been heard from since.
‘We’ll miss him at the cricket and we’ll miss him at the football. He was a generous man, always helping his family and his community.
‘Our hearts break at the loss of Zoe at such a young age.
‘We know her loss will also devastate her school community and the local Girl Guides, of which she was an active member.’
Ms Hosking’s brother David flew to New Zealand after the disaster and scoured hospitals for the family, eventually finding her.
The petroleum engineer is believed to have suffered burns to 60 per cent of her body and is one of two dozen who are fighting for life in hospital.
Karla Mathews and Richard Elzer and their close friend Jason Griffiths also perished in the eruption as they trekked around the island.
Jason Griffiths, 33, Karla Mathews, 32, and Richard Elzer, 32, (left to right) from Coffs Harbour, NSW, were among a group of nine friends who had embarked on a cruise ship for ‘a wonderful holiday together’
Jason Griffiths, 33, from Coffs Harbour, NSW, has died from his injuries after he was taken to hospital in critical condition, friends confirmed Wednesday evening. He had been travelling with couple Karla Mathews, 32, and Richard Elzer, 32, who were among those still on the island and are now dead, friends said
Ms Matthews and Mr Elzer’s bodies are still on White Island and Mr Griffiths died in hospital surrounded by six friends they were travelling with.
The nine mates boarded Ovation of the Seas in Sydney last week, spending five memorable days together at sea enjoying the luxury ship’s high-end restaurants, fancy bars and outdoor adventure parks.
Mr Griffiths, 33, was pulled from the island by rescue teams, suffering burns to 80 per cent of his body. He was taken to hospital in a critical condition, but later died.
The remaining six travel companions had no idea if their friends made it off the island alive, until their frantic search for answers came to a tragic end.
Australian death toll so far: Nine named as dead or presumed dead
Twenty four Australians were among 47 on White Island when it erupted.
Eleven are dead or presumed dead but not all have been named.
New Zealand Police said there was a ‘definitive’ list of those who are in hospital but could not be released due to privacy reasons.
THE DEAD:
Julie Richards, 47, and her daughter Jessica, 20, from Brisbane.
Julie Richards, 47, and her daughter Jessica, 20, (pictured) from Brisbane are among the dead
Gavin Dallow, 53, and stepdaughter Zoe Hosking, 15, from Adelaide
The Hosking/Dallow family had been on a tour at the time of the eruption. Mum Lisa Dallow is among the injured in hospital. Her husband Gavin (right) 53, and 15-year-old daughter Zoe, from Adelaide, (left) were confirmed dead on Wednesday
Mr Dallow’s body was identified by police from the five bodies recovered from the island, but Zoe’s remains are still there and she is presumed dead.
Karla Mathews, 32, and Richard Elzer, 32, from Coffs Harbour, NSW
Karla Mathews (left), 32, is dead as is boyfriend Richard Elzer (right), 32, from Coffs Harbour
The couple were identified as those tourists still on the island and therefore presumed dead by their families on Wednesday.
Jason Griffiths, 33, Coffs Harbour, NSW
Jason Griffiths, 33, from Coffs Harbour was taken to hospital in critical condition but died from his injuries on Wednesday
Jason Griffiths, 33, from Coffs Harbour, NSW, died from his injuries on Wednesday after being taken to hospital in critical condition.
He had been on a tour of the volcano with couple Karla Mathews, 32, and Richard Elzer, 32, who are now presumed dead, friends said.
Matthew (Year 8) and Berend Hollander (Year 10) from Sydney
Matthew (left, year eight) and Berend (right, year 10) Hollander were confirmed dead on Thursday morning
Knox Grammar schoolboy brothers Matthew, 13, and Berend, 16, Hollander were confirmed dead on Thursday morning.
They died in two New Zealand hospitals after escaping the island with horrific burns.
THE MISSING:
Martin and Barbara Hollander
According to his Linkedin profile, Mr Hollander works at Transport for NSW as a freight initiatives manager.
He is also a director at a Singaporean investment management firm, Wipunen Incrementum Capital.
He was on a family holiday with his wife and two kids.
Mr Hollander works at Transport for NSW as a freight initiatives manager. His two teenage sons died in hospital on Thursday morning
Anthony Langford, 51, wife Kristine, and daughter Winona, 17
Mr Langford works for Sydney Water.
Jesse Langford, 18, is in hospital being treated
Jesse Langford’s parents and 17-year-old sister, from north Sydney, are still listed as missing. The family (pictured together) toured the volcano on Monday as part of a cruise holiday
Krystal Browitt, 21, from Melbourne
She was on the cruise for her 21st birthday with family.
Her father Paul is in a coma in Auckland and her sister Stephanie is in a Christchurch hospital, while her mother Marie stayed on the cruiseliner.
Krystal Browitt was on the cruise for her 21st birthday with family
THE INJURED:
Lisa Dallow, 49, from Adelaide
She is an induced coma in Hamilton Hospital, with 57 per cent of her body burnt
Lisa Dallow (right with her husband Gavin who is missing), 49, from Adelaide
Jesse Langford, 19
He has been identified among the injured in hospital but his condition is not clear
Found: Jesse Langford (pictured with Michelle Spring, believed to be his girlfriend) is in hospital but his condition is not clear