White Island volcano tragedy claims 20th victim

A Melbourne father dies in the Alfred Hospital, the 20th death following the NZ disaster.

A 20th person has died following the White Island volcano tragedy.

The White Island volcano tragedy has claimed its twentieth life, after Melbourne father Paul Browitt died in the Alfred Hospital overnight.

Mr Browitt’s death follows that of his daughter Krystal Browitt, 21, whose body was among six recovered from the island off New Zealand last month.

His elder daughter Stephanie, 23, remains in The Alfred Hospital, as does Adelaide woman Lisa Dallow, 48.

The hospital confirmed that of the three patients it was treating, one male patient (Mr Browitt) had died, another remained in a critical condition and the third was stable. A spokeswoman would not say which patient was which.

NZ Police deputy commissioner John Tims confirmed on Monday morning that a “further person” had died in an Australian hospital overnight “as a result of injuries suffered in the Whakaari/White Island eruption”.

“The death of this person brings the official number of deceased to 18, 16 of whom died in New Zealand and two in Australia,” Mr Tims said.

New Zealand police have not counted Sydney teenager Winona Langford, 17, and New Zealand guide Hayden Marshall-Inman, 40, as part of their official death toll, despite abandoning a search for the bodies of the pair, who are missing presumed dead following the tragedy.

Mr Browitt’s wife Maria — who due to a health condition did not accompany him and their daughters onto White Island when the volcano erupted on December 9 — has been keeping vigil at his and Stephanie’s bedsides.

Mr Browitt had worked for Victoria’s State Revenue Office for more than thirty years, most recently as a senior investigator.

Neighbours in the family’s Craigieburn street in Melbourne’s outer northern suburbs had previously spoken of their kindness and community spirit, with Maria Browitt having supported another local family with gifts from the Salvation Army after they lost their mother on Christmas Eve three years ago.

A GoFundMe page for the family has raised almost $76,000 of a $100,000 target.

Eight volcano patients remain in NSW hospitals, including five in the Royal North Shore hospital, and three in Concord hospital.

A NSW health department spokesman said that of the eight, at least six were in a stable condition and family members of the other two had requested that their conditions not be made public.

Among those being treated in NSW is university student Jesse Langford, 19, whose sister Winona’s body remains missing, along with that of New Zealand guide Hayden Marshall-Inman.

The Langfords’ mother Kristine, 46, and father Anthony, 51, also died following the eruption, with the funeral of the trio live-streamed to Jesse Langford in his hospital bed late last month.

Ms Dallow’s husband, Adelaide lawyer Gavin Dallow, 53, and her daughter Zoe Hosking, 15, also died, along with Coffs Harbour man Jason Griffiths, 33, and his friends, Coffs Harbour couple Richard Elzer and Karla Mathews, both 32.

Also on the list of victims are Sydney father Chris Cozad, 43, who died in the Concord Hospital, Brisbane IT specialist Julie Richards, 47, and her veterinary science student daughter Jessica, 20, as well as Knox Grammar students Berend “Ben” Hollander, 16, his brother Matthew, 13, and their parents Martin, 48 and Barbara, 49.

New Zealand guide Tipene Maangi, 24, and US woman Mayuari Singh, 42, have also been confirmed dead.