An newlywed couple from the United States whose lives were turned upside down by the Whakaari/White Island eruption, consider themselves as the "lucky ones", one year after emerging from the tragedy still alive.
Today is a day of remembrance as one year ago 22 people were tragically killed and others badly hurt when Whakaari/White Island erupted just after 2pm.
Many of the 47 people on the island that day were tourists from overseas travelling on the Royal Caribbean cruise.
This time last year, people would have been excited and ready to take the bus from Tauranga to Whakatāne to embark on what was considered by many as a highlight destination of the tour - Whakaari/White Island.
The volcanic eruption claimed the lives of 22 people on December 9. 2020. (Source: Other)
Two of the 25 survivors on the island were Matt and Lauren Urey, of Virginia. Their memories of that day are clear.
"I remember pretty much everything. I remember our tour guide Kelsey yelling 'run' when we were at the stream and we were all kind of feeling the water by the stream when we saw this black plume coming from the crater and that's when Kelsey said 'run' and we all ran and hid behind this rock," Lauren told TVNZ1's Breakfast host John Campbell.
"I just held Matt's hand and I remember just screaming to Matt that I loved him because I was certain that our lives were ending and that it would only be moments until we both died and I just wanted our bodies to be found together.
"We were on our honeymoon and I didn't want to be separated from him and I wouldn't let go of him."
Twenty-two people lost their lives after the volcano erupted on 9 December 2019. (Source: Other)
Matt added, "I remember the eruption, the pain, I remember the boat ride back - that 90 minutes just getting cooked by the sun, freezing in the cold air, splashed with salt water. I remember all of that".
However, he praised the healthcare in New Zealand, as well as offers of support and donations from the public, but said "the one thing we want is for this to never happen to anyone again".
"It was horrible, almost half the people on that island didn't walk away."
But it's not been easy for the surviving pair either who are still undergoing surgeries every month in the year since. Lauren will have surgery every month for another year.
Matt said they're scared to check the mail because they don't know what bills will come in next.
As well, they're only creeping back up to being able to work full time due to their injuries and surgeries.
"I'm off a lot and when I am off I don't get paid. I get paid hourly so I don't get paid when I'm not working," Lauren said.
"Our lives will never be the same again, our families lives will never be the same again and we're one of the lucky ones, we really are, and we realise that but this shouldn't have happened.
"Our first year of marriage was robbed of us and it's not right and we wanted to have babies or try to this year, we had so much planned that now we have to put on hold for years because we have surgery plans for the next two years."
The nation needs to take stock of its adventure tourism rules, he said, as the couple sues cruise ship company Royal Caribbean. (Source: Other)
Matt said "with 100 per cent certainty we would not have stepped foot on that island" if they had of known the risks of it erupting.
"We want justice for ourselves, we want justice for the other survivors, we want justice for those that didn't make it and I think Royal Caribbean needs to pay and we will not give up and they need to know that," Lauren added.
"Obviously we are fighters and we will not give up. We are not trying to be unreasonable, we're really not, we just don't want to be in debt the rest of our lives because of the surgeries and the medical expenses that we have because of this horrible accident."
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