Whakatāne marks fifth anniversary of Whakaari White Island eruption

About 200 people have gathered in Whakatāne to mark the fifth anniversary of the Whakaari White Island eruption, which killed 22 people.

Affected families, iwi, police, and firefighters attended a dawn karakia.

It was held beside Te Hau Tutua Park, where those gathered can see the island.

Among them was Lillani Hopkins, who had just boarded the boat back to Whakatāne with her father when the eruption happened.

She told First Up fear set in along with the realisation others were still on the island as the ash cloud rolled towards the sea.

The boat sped round the ash cloud and headed to the bay where they had docked, and she and her father began giving help.

For years she had little recollection of the couple of hours they spent treating and triaging people.

"It's only been in last couple of years meeting with the survivors and the people that we treated have I been able to piece together most of the things that have happened - because they remembered me doing things or me saying things or me sitting with them."

She is still triggered by the smell of ash and sulphur, and was initially reluctant to explore the outdoors again - but that had changed. "There's no way of knowing what's going to happen and I'm going to live my life in fear of something big happening."

Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell and Police Commissioner Richard Chambers attended the ceremony,

Prayers were led in several different faiths before reflections and the the dropping of pōhutukawa flowers into the ocean.

At noon, the families, along with dignitaries including Mitchell, Chambers and Whakatāne mayor Victor Luca, will meet at Te Mānuka Tūtahi Marae for a pōwhiri.

Victim's families, who have travelled from Australia and Britain, will be given an opportunity to speak.

At 2.11pm - the time Whakaari began to erupt five years ago - there will be a minute's silence followed by speeches, after which the families will be given an opportunity to speak.

At 4pm, a design for a new memorial at the heads will be unveiled by Harawira's brother, sculptor Peter Harawira.

The brother of Hayden Marshall-Inman, a tour guide who died in the eruption, said the anniversary day of 9 December has forever changed for his family and those of others killed.

Mark Inman said efforts to support first responders, and a recent fundraising concert for a Whakaari memorial, has helped him cope with the grief.

"An amazing concert in honour of all those both lost and those that were involved around the rescue and recovery and the support. I drive a few things around raising funds for our first responders and the like. that's I guess the positive way I try to channel my energies around grief."

The tragedy had pulled the community closer together, Inman told Morning Report. He said a permanent memorial was important for people to be able to sit and reflect or groups to gather.

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