Police have formally identified four more Australians who died during the White Island Volcano disaster last Monday.
Martin Berend Hollander, 48, from Sydney, Jason Grifffiths, 33, from Coffs Harbour, Jessica Richards, 20, from Brisbane and Kristine Langford, 45, from Sydney were confirmed dead in a police statement.
The death toll from the eruption is now 16.
On Friday six bodies were successfully recovered from White Island, also known as Whakaari, by New Zealand Defence Force personnel but Police Commissioner Mike Bush said it could ‘days and weeks’ to recover the final two bodies.
Kristine Langford, 45, was confirmed dead a day after her husband Anthony, 51. The couple’s daughter Winona, 17, is still missing and presumed dead while their 19-year-old son Jesse is alive in hospital with burns to 90 per cent of his body.
Kristine Langford (left), 45, from Sydney, is among those officially confirmed dead. The body of her husband Anthony (right), 51 was formally identified on Sunday
Anthony Langford (far right) 51, and Kristine, 44, (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
Martin Berend Hollander (right), 48, from Sydney, was missing but was also formally identified on Monday. Mr Hollander’s wife Barbara (left), 50, is yet to be confirmed dead or identified by police
Mr Hollander, 48, from Sydney, was previously listed as missing but was formally identified on Monday.
His two sons Berend, 16, and Matthew, 13, who attended Sydney’s Knox Grammar, both died in hospital last week after suffering serious injuries in the blast. Mr Hollander’s wife Barbara, 50, is yet to be confirmed dead or identified by police.
Jason Griffiths, 33, from Coffs Harbour, NSW, died from his injuries last Wednesday after being taken to hospital in critical condition, but was officially confirmed dead by police on Monday.
Jessica Richards, 20, from Brisbane, was formally confirmed dead by police on Monday.
Jessica Richards (right), 20, from Brisbane, and her mother Julie (left), 47, were among the missing, and have been officially confirmed dead by police
A statement was issued on behalf of the Langford family on Monday.
‘ Anthony and Kristine, loving parents to Jesse and Winona, were a wonderful couple and devoted to both their immediate and extended families. They will be greatly missed by all who knew them,’ it read.
‘Winona is currently unaccounted for and Jesse is recovering in hospital, receiving excellent care.
‘At this difficult time, we ask that the media respect our family’s privacy. We will not be making further comment.’
Last week, relatives of the Langford family who flew to New Zealand in a desperate search said they found no trace of the missing family members and believe the three didn’t survive.
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.
Mrs Langford had shared a photo of herself, her husband, and Jesse – presumably taken by Winona – of them about to board the ship.
Sydney schoolboys, Berend Hollander, 16, (left) and his brother Matthew, 13, (right) were injured in the eruption but later died in hospital. They both studied at Sydney’s Knox Grammar school
The boys’ father Martin Hollander (pictured) was confirmed dead on Monday, but their mother Barbara is still missing but believed to be dead
‘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 recovery.
‘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.
Adelaide schoolgirl Zoe Hosking, 15 and her stepfather Gavin Dallow, 53, were formally identified on Sunday, as well as New Zealand tour guide Tipene Maangi, 24.
Jason Griffiths, 33, from Coffs Harbour, NSW, died from his injuries last Wednesday after being taken to hospital in critical condition, but was officially confirmed dead by police on Monday
Zoe Hosking, from Adelaide, and her stepfather Gavin Dallow, 53, were among those who were formally declared dead on Sunday
New Zealand tour guide Tipene Maangi, 24, was formally identified by police as a victim on Sunday
Krystal Eve Browitt, 21, from Melbourne (pictured) was formally identified as the first Australian victim of last Monday’s White Island volcano disaster
They are believed to be among the bodies recovered on Friday during a high-stakes mission to retrieve eight victims who were still on the island.
In total, 47 people were on White Island during Monday’s disaster.
On Monday morning, NSW Health confirmed two patients at Concord Hospital were in a critical condition, while one patient was now stable.
Two patients at the Royal North Shore were in a stable condition and three patients at Royal North Shore were in a critical condition
The New Zealand Ministry of Health confirmed the death toll as of Sunday morning was 16 after a patient in Waikato Hospital died from their injuries on Saturday night.
There are 14 patients being cared for in four burns units around New Zealand – Middlemore, Hutt Valley, Waikato, and Christchurch – with 10 listed as critical.
The Ovation of the Seas cruise ship pulled into Sydney Harbour just before 6am on Monday morning (pictured)
A family embrace as the Royal Carribbean cruise ship ‘Ovation of the Seas’ returns to Sydney on Monday morning
A couple wait for passengers disembarking the Royal Caribbean International’s cruise ship Ovation of the Seas after it arrived in Sydney Harbour after returning from New Zealand, in Sydney, Monday
Meanwhile, Ovation of the Seas cruise ship passengers who arrived back in Sydney this morning claimed they were kept in the dark about how many people from the ship had died in the volcano eruption and weren’t provided with proper mental health support as they waited to leave New Zealand.
The luxury cruise ship pulled into Sydney Harbour just before 6am on Monday morning after spending a week on a cruise around New Zealand that will be remembered for the White Island volcano eruption last Monday that either killed or injured 24 of their fellow passengers on board the ship.
Steven Angie Ward, who was one of dozens of passengers leaving the ship in Sydney on Monday morning, told Daily Mail Australia the crew didn’t tell them how many people on board had died.
‘We got all of our information from the news, not from the ship’s staff, ‘ he said.
However, he praised how the captain handled the ordeal, saying he would have been under enormous pressure.
‘You could see he was emotionally beat up by it all,’ he said.
There were 47 people on the island at the time, many of whom had been cruise passengers.
Passengers disembark the Royal Caribbean International’s cruise ship Ovation of the Seas after it arrived in Sydney Harbour after returning from New Zealand
‘Initially they kept us in the dark. There was things they couldn’t divulge because of privacy and considerations of the family and he us informed.’
Another passenger said the people on the ship were left in the dark as the tragedy unfolded.
‘I’ve got a son that’s 17 who lost two friends that he made. We didn’t know how many people were missing,’ he said.
Sophie Mcilquham said the eruption was originally referred to as an ‘incident’ by the crew.
‘Until we turned on the TV we would have had no clue what had happened,’ she said.
‘People back in Australia knew more than what we did,’ Toni Raponi said.
Notes were handed out to passengers as they disembarked the vessel on Monday morning, sharing advice for those affected by the tragedy
Passengers thought the ‘generic’ notes regarding mental health were a poor effort (pictured)
The vessel, which embarked on a 12-day cruise from Sydney, was supposed to sail to Wellington on Monday evening, November 9, but was docked in Tauranga as the tragedy unfolded.
The ship eventually set sail again, flying its flags at half-mast as it docked in Wellington before making its way to Picton on Friday.
A Royal Caribbean spokesperson said on Monday their thoughts remain with those affected and they will continue to provide ongoing support and services to them and their families during this difficult time.
‘We would like to thank all the first responders and medical personnel. We also thank the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand and their teams, the local authorities and everyone who has reached out to help with their kind words of support.
‘We thank our guests for their understanding in the days following this tragic event.’
A woman looks on as the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship docks in Sydney on Monday morning
Cruise passengers return to land after spending a week travelling around New Zealand. Passengers were among the victims of the volcano disaster last week
Holiday-makers left the overseas passenger terminal at Circular Quay on Monday morning after spending a week on board the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship
The cruise ship, Ovation of the Seas cruise, returned to Sydney on Monday, after a harrowing week in New Zealand
Passengers were seen eagerly grabbing their suitcases as they returned to land on Monday morning
Passengers (pictured disembarking the vessel on Monday) claim they were kept in the dark about how many people had died in the volcano eruption in New Zealand last week
A follow-up mission to New Zealand’s White Island failed to retrieve the two remaining bodies still missing after Monday’s volcanic eruption.
Defence force operatives returned to the surface of Whakaari on Sunday, two days after their first high-stakes trip to the active volcano brought back six bodies.
Police understand eight people were killed on the island.
They spent Saturday debriefing the operation and searching nearby waters – contaminated from the blast and contained dead fish and eels – for the last two bodies.
Mission command firmly believe a seventh body is in the water, and are increasingly convinced the eighth could be too.
The luxury ship pulled into Circular Quay’s overseas passenger terminal early on Monday morning
Pictured: The Ovation of the Seas cruise ship at Tauranga. A number of passengers from the cruise went on a tour to White Island
However, both Saturday’s water-based search and Sunday’s landing have failed to turn up the remains.
‘It’s been a blow for police,’ deputy commissioner Mike Clement said,
‘Everyone went out there desperate to find the bodies … it’s been tough going for everybody.
‘We understand completely how frustrating it is for loved ones who want the bodies back.’
As of Sunday afternoon NZDT, divers are now back in the water around the Bay of Plenty island, hoping they can reach a breakthrough.
The situation on the volcano, New Zealand’s most active, remains volatile and dangerous.
The latest update from geological monitoring agency GeoNet left the alert level at two and suggested there was a 30 to 45 per cent chance of an eruption in the next day.
Recovery teams have been conducting dangerous search operations to recover missing bodies on the island since Friday. Police said divers faced ‘unique and challenging conditions’ as they searched waters ‘with between zero and two metres visibility’
The rescuers disembarked their vessel at the same position where just days earlier the excited tourists first set foot on White Island. New Zealand authorities believe the force of the volcanic eruption resulted in one of the victims being knocked into the water
National Operations Commander and New Zealand police deputy commissioner John Tims said Sunday morning’s visit was quicker than Friday’s four-hour salvage effort.
The retrieval team wore the same protective clothing as Friday but carried a diminished breathing apparatus, ‘meaning they will only be able to stay on the island for up to 75 minutes’, Tims said.
More people travelled to Whakaari – two teams of four search and rescue operatives, as well as disaster victim Identification staff.
‘These police staff will be deployed to an area of the island where our best information suggests a body might be,’ Tims said prior to the mission.
A police Eagle helicopter hovered over the island to support the search, with a GNS Science staff member.
Despite returning back to the mainland empty-handed, police have underlined their commitment to the job.
‘We remain committed to finishing the task at hand and returning the two remaining bodies to their loved ones,’ Tims said.
Australian victims in White Island tragedy: The dead and missing
Twenty four Australians were among 47 tourist on White Island when it erupted.
THE DEAD:
Julie Richards, 47, and her daughter Jessica, 20, from Brisbane, have been officially confirmed dead.
Julie Richards, 47, and her daughter Jessica, 20, (pictured) from Brisbane are among the dead
Martin Hollander
Martin Berend Hollander, 48, from Sydney, was missing but was formally identified on Monday.
His two sons Berend, 16, and Matthew, 13, who attended Sydney’s Knox Grammar, both died in hospital last week after suffering serious injuries in the blast.
Mr Hollander’s wife Barbara, 50, is yet to be confirmed dead or identified by police.
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, who remains unaccounted for, and two kids, who were confirmed dead on Thursday.
Martin Berend Hollander, 48, from Sydney, was formally identified on Monday. His wife Barbara (left) is yet to be formally identified
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. Zoe was formally identified as a victim on Sunday.
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 was officially confirmed dead by police on Monday.
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.
Their father Martin was confirmed dead on Monday, while their mother Barbara is yet to be confirmed dead or identified by police.
Krystal Browitt, 21, from Melbourne
Krystal Browitt was on the cruise for her 21st birthday with family
Ms Browitt was formally identified as a victim on Saturday. She was on the Ovation of the Seas cruise for her 21st birthday with family.
Her father Paul and sister Stephanie are in serious condition in hospital. Her mother Marie escaped death by staying on the cruise liner.
Anthony Langford, 51, and his wife Kristine Langford, 45, from Sydney
Anthony Langford, 51, (pictured with wife Kristine) had been among those still unaccounted for in the disaster. He was confirmed dead by police on Sunday
Kristine Langford, 45, from Sydney, is also among those officially confirmed dead on Monday.
The body of her husband Anthony, 51 was formally identified on Sunday, and her daughter Winona, 17, is still missing and presumed dead.
The couple’s 19-year-old son Jesse survived the volcano eruption, and is recovering in hospital with burns to 90 per cent of his body.
Mr Langford worked for Sydney Water.
THE MISSING:
Barbara Hollander, from Sydney
Barbara, who was on the island with her husband and their sons when the eruption hit on Monday, is yet to be formally identidied
Winona Langford, 17, Sydney
The Langford family had been among those still unaccounted for after the eruption. So far, Anthony Langford has been confirmed dead. Son Jesse, 19, is in hospital, but Winona and mum Kristine remain missing
Winona, 17, remains unaccounted for after Monday’s eruption.
Her father Anthony, 51, was declared dead, while son Jesse, is in hospital
THE INJURED:
Lisa Dallow, 49, from Adelaide
Lisa Dallow (right with her husband Gavin who is missing), 49, from Adelaide
She is an induced coma in Hamilton Hospital, with 57 per cent of her body burnt
Jesse Langford, 19, Sydney
Found: Jesse Langford (pictured with Michelle Spring, believed to be his girlfriend) is in hospital but his condition is not clear
He has been identified among the injured in hospital. He is reported to have suffered burns to 90 per cent of his body