Video shot off White Island shows helicopter, Navy boat involved in body recovery mission

December 13, 2019

The operation to recover the bodies of eight people on the volcano kicked off early this morning.

The mission is underway to retrieve the bodies of those who died on White Island after Monday's volcanic eruption and bring them back to the mainland.

1 NEWS has filmed the recovery mission underway this morning. The footage filmed from on a boat off the coast of Whakatāne shows a NZ Navy vessel off White Island and a helicopter flying near the Bay of Plenty volcano.

Police confirmed this morning that a recovery team landed on the island and six bodies are currently being retrieved and two are yet to be retrieved. 

Throughout the morning, helicopters have been seen flying towards White Island from Whakatāne Airport.

Eight specialist staff landed on the island for the recovery mission.

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