Whānau of Tipene Maangi, who died in the Whakaari eruption, have read victim impact statements in court describing their loss.
The White Island Tours guide, described as happy and full of laughter, died along with 21 others while he was guiding tours on the volcano in 2019.
Tipene's mother Paula Maangi struggled to read her statement, stopping several times.
"Every day I ask myself how could this have happened? How could they have let anybody go on the island? They should have stopped this at alert level 2."
She described her son as a young entertainer who had a song for everyone and was fluent in te reo Māori. He loved that his job allowed him to spend money on whānau.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Every day I blame myself and I ask could I have prevented this?
The family of Tipene Maangi has spoken of their loss and grief at his death in the Whakaari eruption. (Source: 1News)
"But I know I couldn't have stopped him. I knew he needed the money to pay his rent."
The body of her son was one of the last to be recovered.
"I hid in the corner at the gate and said, 'I know that's my son, I recognise his big puku'," she said, laughing as she cried.
"There have been times when I wanted to end my life because the pain was too much. But I won't do this to my children. It's my kids that keep me going."
ADVERTISEMENT
Tipene's brother was collecting kaimoana near Ōpōtiki when the eruption happened. He described smelling sulphur in the air.
Tipene Maangi (Source: Supplied)
When he got home and saw the news: "Everyone was in a panic. I don't know how but I knew something was wrong."
He described struggling with drugs and alcohol after Tipene's death, but is clean now.
"Tipene would want me to look after the whānau and take care of them so that's what I'm going to do."
"I want to honour him by keeping clean and taking care of my family."
Tipene's sister said "every time he stepped foot in a room it lit up".
ADVERTISEMENT
"His smile shined brighter than the sun, his hugs felt like you were flying through the clouds."
His grandmother Ngaroahiahi Patuwai Maangi said her name means "lost afternoon", a poignant reference to the afternoon of the eruption.
She told Judge Evangelos Thomas "I would like to give you a good pat on the back and shake your hand".
She also thanked the WorkSafe lawyers and staff "who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes", "to bring those parties to account over the Whakaari eruption".
SHARE ME