Kelsey Waghorn: White Island volcano survivor’s gruesome injuries revealed – as she relives the moment the world erupted in a deadly fireball, killing 22 around her and maiming 25 more

Kelsey Waghorn: White Island Eruption Survivor’s Harrowing Tale

On the day of the eruption, the tour group paused near the island’s central streams, which flowed down to Crater Bay. These waters had distinct flavors—iron-rich in one, sharp and acidic in the other. Kelsey, then 25, was mid-explanation about the differences when the chaos began.

The sudden cacophony of voices and gestures broke the calm. She reacted instantly, recognizing the signs of an impending eruption. “I knew what was happening,” she later recalled. “The island was erupting.”

Surviving the Volcanic Catastrophe

White Island erupted on December 9, 2019, claiming 22 lives and injuring 25 others. Two bodies were never found, adding to the tragedy. Kelsey, a tour guide, was among the 47 people on the island that day.

As the plume of ash and gas rose swiftly, it surpassed the island’s peak. The sight was striking against the clear blue sky, yet the danger was imminent. “There was no warning—no hiss, no boom,” she wrote in her account. “Only the radios screaming, ‘ERUPTION! TAKE COVER!’ and me shouting, ‘Everyone, with me! Run!’ “

The Moment of Impact

Kelsey’s safety training kicked in immediately. She sprinted along the track, dodging boulders, and sought refuge behind a rock formation. “This feels just like our drills,” she noted, “but it’s insane.”

While most of the group regrouped, others scattered to nearby cover. They were about 300 to 400 meters from the main crater, a distance that seemed vast in the aftermath. “I heard someone say, ‘Wow!'” she recounted. “And another, ‘Look at that!'”

Time slowed as the pyroclastic surge—a deadly wave of superheated gas and volcanic debris—advanced toward them. “It was like a film reel,” she described, “every second stretching like a lifetime.”

Understanding the Hazard

Pyroclastic surges, she explained, are formed when an eruption column collapses. The force of the explosion created a dense cloud, but gravity soon took its toll. The surge, faster than it seemed, rolled across the ground, engulfing everything in its path.

“My exposed arms felt like they were on fire,” she wrote in *Surviving White Island*. A section of her right elbow remained unscathed because she shielded her face as long as possible. The surge’s approach marked their worst-case scenario.

Despite the chaos, Kelsey remained composed, guiding others to safety. Her account, later published in a book, captures the raw intensity of the eruption and its aftermath. She is pictured in April 2020, showcasing the severity of her injuries as her legs began to heal.

Rescue Efforts

An aerial photograph from the day of the incident reveals two New Zealand Defence Force members engaged in a mission to retrieve the remains of those lost. Their efforts underscored the scale of the disaster and the urgency of the situation.