Advisory: This story contains descriptions of injuries
Dressed in gumboots, shorts and a singlet, deckhand Jason Clark was one of the first to set foot on Whakaari/White Island after it erupted.
But his story has never been told - until now.
Jason's nephew, Jonty Clark, said his uncle was among the first rescuers on Whakaari after it erupted on December 9, 2019. The eruption resulted in 22 deaths and many other people were seriously injured.
In spite of the intense media spotlight that followed the tragedy, Jason’s efforts were never made public.
Jonty said that was because his "humble" and "quiet" uncle was so concerned he might be charged for his actions.
It had been declared too dangerous for air ambulance services to land on the island.
In November 2020, WorkSafe NZ filed 20 charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act against 13 organisations and individuals relating to the eruption. The court case is expected to be heard next year.
Companies involved in the rescue were among those charged but WorkSafe stated the enforcement action did not relate to rescue or victim recovery efforts, and that those "may be the subject of other proceedings, such as a coronial inquest".
In January last year, Jason Clark died from cancer aged 48.
Now, with no risk of his uncle facing prosecution, and following news this week of bravery awards being presented to seven helicopter pilots who rescued people from the island, Jonty wanted to give Jason "the recognition he deserves".
The Clark family was nominating Jason for the New Zealand Bravery Awards.
Jason was a deckhand on fishing charter boat Gambler near to Whakaari when the volcano erupted with 47 tourists and guides on the island.
A distress call was issued to boats in the area and the Gambler responded immediately despite having four Japanese charter guests on board.
The Gambler arrived as ash continued to fall and just after Mark Law from Kāhu NZ landed in his helicopter, saving people from the island's crater. Three other helicopters followed.
On Wednesday, Law was announced a recipient of the prestigious New Zealand Bravery Star for his actions that day. The other pilots, Tim Barrow, Graeme Hopcroft, Jason Hill, Tom Storey, Sam Jones and Callum Mill, were each honoured with a New Zealand Bravery Decoration.
Jason and two others - who would not be named because they feared legal repercussions - used rubber dinghies to find and ferry the injured into ash-coated White Island boats.
"What they saw when they got there was horrific ... they jumped on the island and went searching for people and also helping people that couldn't help themselves, couldn't walk and that," Jonty said.
“My uncle Jason told me about ... when he went to grab someone and the flesh of their arm came off. That’s how horrific it was for them.
"They got people off as fast as they could."
Jonty said he talked with his uncle about Whakaari multiple times.
"He was just so humble about it. He didn't want recognition but I knew it affected him, seeing those kinds of things. They even had to have counselling to talk about it."
Jonty said when he saw the helicopter pilots awarded for their bravery, he was pleased for them but also felt some sadness for his uncle whose story had not been heard.
"I thought 'Good on them', but these boys need to be recognised as well."
Jonty said while the eruption and its impact on the lives of those involved was a shock, the actions of his uncle were of no surprise.
"He just said 'We saved lives'. He was just a humble guy that just loved to fish. We are just so proud of him."
The Gambler has since been sold but its former skipper, Mick Goodin, who was on board that day, said there was no hesitation when the distress call came.
"We got there and could see everything covered in ash. The White Island boat was covered in ash and we could see people in real dire straights."
Goodin said some people’s burns were so serious he could see the extent of them from where he remained on the boat with his stunned charter guests. He described the scene as “traumatic”.
As Jason and the others searched for survivors, comforted the ones already waiting on the jetty, and ferried them to the boats, more helicopter crews arrived to help those people who had been in the crater.
Goodin said they used all of the bottled water they had on the boat to bathe the injured people’s burns as salt water could not be used.
"There were shocking injuries," Goodin said. "If it wasn't for Jason doing what he did, [some of the injured] would have died."
"They were a team that worked together to save a lot of lives, at their own risk. [Some] wouldn't be here without those three people ... there's no doubt about that."
Goodin described all three as "very humble guys" and commended the helicopter pilots involved who he said absolutely deserved their awards.
"There could have been another explosion. Those guys took a risk to save fellow human beings. There were some real heroes that day."
Goodin said he believed people felt restricted from talking by the court case but he believed now, nearly three years later, it was time to help tell Jason and the two others' story.
"I'm one of the few people that can talk. I've got no court case happening. I'm at liberty to say what I saw," he said.
"They put themselves in danger ... They certainly deserve something too."
Anyone can nominate someone for the New Zealand Bravery Awards. A Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet spokeswoman said nominations were treated in strict confidence and because of this, she could not comment on any names that may or may not have been submitted.
Jason's partner, Amanda-Jane Lewis, said he wouldn't have asked for any spotlight but it was something the family felt was appropriate now as there would be no legal repercussions.
"People were walking out of the ash. He said it was horrific. He got people off the island but it was quite hard getting them on the boat because he couldn't hold them but he needed to support them."
Lewis said even though her late partner was humble, "some recognition - not just for him but for all people that helped - would be good".
She also highlighted the St John ambulance drivers, the people who helped form a human barricade to protect the injured on shore, and the doctors and nurses involved.
“It wasn’t just the pilots. It was just those people, the Joe Bloggs, and he was one of those Joe Bloggs and this was an example of Joe Bloggs stepping up. “He went there in his gumboots, shorts and a singlet.”
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