When a group of 47 people set out to explore New Zealand’s Whakaari (or White Island) active stratovolcano on Dec. 9, 2019, no one expected it to suddenly erupt. That’s because, as pointed out in Netflix’s “The Volcano: Rescue From Whakaari,” the island has always been gentle, only letting it free when no one was around, even turning it into a tourist spot. However, the events of the fateful afternoon were wildly different, as 22 lives were ultimately claimed, including Winona Langford, so let’s find out more about her now shall we?
Although she was only 17 years old, Winona Langford of Sydney, Australia was said to be kind, thoughtful, mature and bold in every positive sense of those terms thanks to the unwavering support of her entire family. Also, according to her older brother Jesse, then 19, they both enjoyed anything that gave them “adrenaline” by taking a “pleasant risk,” which their parents Anthony and Kristine also supported. That day, the Langfords chose to go on a day tour of White Island at the same base while celebrating water worker Anthony’s birthday on a holiday cruise aboard the Ovation of the Seas.
Source: The cinemaholic
Though neither Winona nor her loved ones could have ever imagined that their excitement at seeing a volcano up close would soon turn into their worst nightmare, with Jesse the sole survivor. According to the latter’s account, their party had begun to move away from the smoking crater moments before it emitted a huge cloud of black smoke at 14:11, causing pure frenzy. The truth is, while he sat next to his parents in the middle, his two-year-old younger sister was up front with guide Hayden Marshall-Inman, who yelled “Run” within seconds.
Unfortunately, this warning didn’t make much difference, as it was already too late to reach shore to dive into the water or take cover under a boulder that wasn’t yet boiling hot. After all activity had stopped, Jesse was still able to collect the bravery to go and try to get assistance for others, but he was eventually taken to the mainland owing to his severe injuries. Anthony, on the other hand, was hardly alive when volunteer rescuers showed up to fly all survivors to local hospitals, where he ultimately passed away from his wounds. Sadly, Winona, Kristine, and Hayden would have been among the eight that the valiant chopper pilots had to abandon as they passed.
Has Winona Langford’s body been found?
No, despite multiple official searches in the weeks after the disastrous eruption, neither Winona nor Hayden’s bodies have ever been found on White Island or in the neighbouring waters. The first person to visit the island after the volunteers left was actually four days later, when there were worries about a second eruption and a storm coming through the region. Because private pilots were told not to return and official rescue teams were forbidden from conducting a mission following the incident, the army found six dead on December 13 as a result.
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