The brother of missing Whakaari/White Island victim Hayden Marshall-Inman is still hopeful his body can be recovered one day.
Today police admitted they may never find the bodies of Mr Marshall-Inman and 17-year-old Australian tourist Winona Langford.
Mr Marshall-Inman was one of the first people to be named missing in the eruption last Monday. Sixteen people have been confirmed dead, not including Mr Marshall-Inman and Ms Langford.
Over the past week, the popular tour guide and Whakatāne local has been described as a generous and kind man, and it's been reported that his last known footsteps were going inland to help.
Today his brother, helicopter pilot Mark Inman, told Breakfast the family is "coping".
"We're staying positive. You've got to keep positive thoughts so that you can forever hope that he'll return home one day ," he said.
Last week, fellow helicopter pilot Tom Storey revealed he'd found Mr Marshall-Inman "beyond help" and moved his body to a safer place. But when authorities were able to launch a recovery mission , he was gone.
Poor conditions hampered today’s search around the volcano. (Source: Other)
It's now suspected his body may have been washed out to sea in poor weather that's been battering the island.
Mr Marshall-Inman was on his 1111th trip when the volcano erupted, Mr Inman says.
"The only piece of positive that would come out of him not returning is his absolute love and passion for the ocean, and for White Island. He'll forever be a guardian out there," he says.
"It just showed the passion and the love that he had for it. He just loved sharing such a beautiful place with so many different people."
Mr Inman has been out near the island himself since the eruption, in both helicopter and by boat.
"One, looking for him, and two, to memorialise him," he said.
"It's still moving and it still makes you want to be back on that island, and have a look and cherish the place."
GNS volcanologist Craig Miller spoke to Breakfast on December 18. (Source: Other)
The volcano erupted suddenly and unexpectedly, with little warning.
While it had been raised to volcanic alert level two by GNS Science in the weeks leading up to the eruption, it's an alert level that Whakaari/White Island has seen many times in the past without eruption.
For the White Island Tours company, it was a level that meant business as usual for them.
The explosive eruption was caused by magma heating up underground water, turning it into steam. As pressure grew, it erupted.
GNS volcanologist Craig Miller told Breakfast this morning the magma could have been building up for weeks before the eruption.
The brother of Hayden Marshall-Inman confirmed his death on Facebook. (Source: Other)
In the days following the disaster, the alert level was raised to three and growing seismic activity was monitored , raising the risk of another eruption.
It's also prompted questions about the future of tourism on the island, known as one of the most active volcanoes in New Zealand.
But Mr Marshall-Inman wouldn't have wanted tours of the island to be cancelled after the deaths, his brother says.
"I 100 per cent think it should carry on. The island's been active for thousands of years and we've been going on and off it for 30-odd years," he says.
"Unfortunately, a moment in time happened in nature and it's just had its way.
"But I believe that the companies that do travel to that island and take tourists… have got everything in place to be able to protect everyone.
"I think it would be a shame if we couldn't carry on sharing such a beautiful volcano in Whakaari to the world and the rest of New Zealand."
Defence Force special operations component commander Rian McKinstry talked about the challenges soldiers faced Friday. (Source: Other)
A "celebration of Hayden's life" will be held on Friday in Whakatāne, with attendees urged to wear their favourite sporting team top. It will include a minute's silence at 11.11am.
Other victims continue to fight for their lives in hospital, with severe burns to large portions of their bodies.
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