Whakaari: Eruption on White Island | Hell on Earth | 2

Against The Odds

Wondery

Cassie De Pecol, History, Society & Culture, Dolby, Mike Corey, Dolby Atmos, Atmos

4.7 • 7.2K Ratings

🗓️ 12 November 2024

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

As a wave of burning steam, ash and debris rolls down toward the shore, 47 tourists and guides sprint for cover, but there is no avoiding the blast. Meanwhile, a boat full of tourists that just left White Island returns to help. And back on the mainland, a local helicopter pilot named Mark Law sees the eruption and makes a fateful decision to fly out to look for survivors.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to Against the Odds early and ad-free right now.
0:05.6	Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.
0:09.8	A listener note. Against the Odds uses dramatizations that are based on true events.
0:15.7	Some elements, including dialogue, may be invented, but everything is based on research.
0:21.9	This episode contains graphic imagery that some listeners may find disturbing.
0:26.6	Please be advised.
0:36.5	Helicopter pilot Brian DePau sprints toward the shoreline,
0:40.9	trying to outrace the eruption of steam and hot ash closing in on him.
0:45.6	If he can get to the water in time, maybe he'll survive.
0:50.4	It's 2.11 in the afternoon on December 9th, 2019. Seconds ago, he was leading his four German
0:57.8	clients back to their helicopter to return to the mainland. Then he heard a terrible roar. He
1:05.1	turned around and couldn't believe his eyes. A towering plume of smoke and ash was spewing out of the acid lake they'd
1:13.5	been staring into just a few minutes earlier. For a second, his brain couldn't quite process
1:19.8	what he was seeing. How was this possible? Yes, White Island is considered an active volcano. In fact, that's what makes it such a popular tourist attraction.
1:32.0	But it's not supposed to erupt.
1:35.8	Brian looked at his helicopter, perched on a landing platform at least 300 yards away.
1:42.0	There was no way he and his passengers could get to it in time. But the
1:46.9	glittering blue water off the shoreline? That was closer, maybe 150 yards away. But was it close
1:54.9	enough? He didn't know, but he didn't have time to find out. He screamed to his clients to follow him,
2:03.6	and then race down the stony path toward the water.
2:07.6	As he runs, he feels the blistering heat sear his back,
2:12.6	like a devil snapping at his heels.
	...

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