The man in charge of sending Defence Force officers onto Whakaari / White Island after the eruption has spoken of the stress and the sleepless night before the high-risk mission.
The Whakaari / White Island mission to recover bodies of the victims (file photo). Photo: NZDF
Four days after the disaster, a team of eight ventured back on the island to recover six bodies - at that time there was still a 40 to 60 percent chance of another eruption.
The mission was considered so dangerous, the Defence Force chief had to sign a special exemption bypassing Health and Safety protocols.
Through the ash-fall and murky waters, HMNZS Wellington could be seen off the coast of Whakatāne.
For days following the Whakaari eruption, the Navy ship sat in the water, close to the island, close to the bodies that had not made it home.
Eight specially trained Explosive Ordnance Disposal officers had the job of going to the island and returning the bodies to the ship.
Lieutenant colonel Mike Nochete was the on-scene commander in charge of managing the Defence Force part of the operation.
It was his call to send the people onto the active volcano, but the level of danger meant it had to be signed off by the minister of defence.
Nochete said that decision that played on his mind a lot.
He was thinking of all the things that could go wrong, the what-ifs and the ways his colleagues could be hurt, he said.
"The night before the operation, I didn't sleep.
"I was on the ship and I was actually really seasick.
"I hadn't eaten, I hadn't slept, I hadn't had my coffee so I wasn't caffeinated.
"There was just that level of uncertainty and worry about putting people in harm's way without being with them. That was pretty tough."
It was the first time in his 20-year career, he had knowingly and consciously put personnel under his command in harm's way, without standing there next to them, he said.
"It was really uncomfortable, to be honest.
"As the on-scene commander, it was my responsibility to place myself as far forward as I could be without being decisively engaged in the actual operation."
The team of eight made it onto the island, in extremely heavy protective gear, knowing there was a chance they could inhale toxic gases or have their skin burned by acidic sludge.
The senior medic from the squad told the Defence Force the mission was surreal.
"I had a look at what we were about to go into. The visibility wasn't great and the ground was very new.
"I felt like I was in a different world.
"People have commented that the photos look like we're on the moon and I guess that would be pretty accurate to what I was seeing at the time."
The man said if he was asked to do the same task again, it would be "a definite yes".
"You have a sense of duty, especially when you sign up to work in emergency response.
"Regardless of whether you're E squadron, if you're a paramedic, firefighter or police officer you have a sense of duty, and you're fully aware of what you may be required to do."
HMNZS Wellington commanding officer Tim Hall was there when the team returned with the bodies which then were flown back to the mainland.
He said a chaplain blessed the hangar where they left from and then there was a relief on board after achieving the mission.
The crew onboard and the recovery team felt a huge sense of responsibility to return lost loved ones to whānau.
"The feeling was intense, intense emotions and intense activity. And then once it was all finished kind of a massive feeling of relief and closure."
'A lot of tears and a lot of hugs'
A week after the eruption, families of the victims were brought onto the ship for a private service and a minute's silence.
Hall said that helped everyone on board.
"Seeing the faces of the victim's family and hearing their stories and you know, there was a lot of tears and a lot of hugs.
"It was really, really a great way for the ship's company to get closure on what was a pretty intense period of activity."
The crew of the ship will gather together on Wednesday for a small remembrance service.
Lieutenant colonel Mike Nochete said a year on, the Defence Force continued to reflect on the mission.
"There is a Māori proverb, Titiro whakamuri, kōkiri whakamua, look back and reflect so you can move forward.
"I guess from a personal perspective, it just shows why NZDF trains the level we do. We train to be combat-ready which allows us to operate in a range of circumstances and environments"
He said no one trained to recovery bodies from a volcanic eruption, but they had the skills and the people were brought home.
Royal Commission needed - Collins
National leader Judith Collins has repeated her call for a Royal Commission into the disaster.
Workplace Relations Minister Michael Wood says terms of reference are being drawn up for MBIE's review into whether WorkSafe carried out its regulatory functions properly.
He's not ruling out a further inquiry, but wants MBIE's review completed before that's considered.
But Collins says there is no need to wait for this or the Coronial process before committing to a Royal Commission.
She said while there are now cases before the court she would not be commenting on "they will never get to the same level of work that a Royal Commission will and normally a Royal Commission would make suggestions and recommendations".
