Raw video taken from nearby boat shows ash and smoke spewing from Whakaari/ White Island

December 10, 2019

Remarkably, instead of fleeing, the boat returned to the island to aid the rescue effort.

Extraordinary new vision taken from a nearby boat shows smoke and ash spewing from Whakaari/ White Island yesterday.

Remarkably, rather than flee, the boat returned to the island to assist those trapped on the island following yesterday’s volcanic eruption.

The footage was provided to 1 NEWS by Lillani Hopkins, who travelled on a tour to the island with her father Geoff.

Shortly after they left the island, the crater erupted.

Twenty-three people were picked up from the island, many of them suffering awful injuries, Mr Hopkins of Hamilton told 1 NEWS.

Many of them had suffered terrible burns to their hands.

A crew from the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter set down on the island in the hunt for the injured.

Those on board did what they could to administer first aid, until they arrived back at Whakatāne and paramedics took over.

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