NZ volcano eruption: ‘missing’ Aussie Lisa Hosking alive, fears for family
An Adelaide mother thought to have died in the volcano is found critically injured, but grave fears are held for her family.
An Adelaide mother who appeared to have perished in Monday’s volcano tragedy has been found critically injured in a New Zealand hospital — but grave fears are held for her husband and daughter who are unaccounted for
Zoe Hosking, 15, her stepfather Gavin Dallow, 53, and mother Lisa Hosking, 48, were officially listed as missing on Tuesday following the White Island disaster.
Late on Tuesday it emerged that Lisa Hosking was alive but with severe burns and was being treated at Waikato Hospital in Hamilton. As of 6pm, there was still no word as to her husband and daughter.
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With up to 11 Australians feared dead and 13 taken to hospital, those among the missing also include a Sydney family of four, a Brisbane mother and daughter, and Coffs Harbour couple Richard Elzer, 32, and Karla Matthews, 32.
New Zealand Police confirmed on Tuesday that of 47 people on the island when the Whakaari/White Island volcano erupted at 2.11pm local time on Monday, six were dead, eight were missing presumed dead and 33 had been taken to hospital — many of them in a critical condition.
Zoe and her parents departed Sydney last Wednesday on a Royal Caribbean cruise of New Zealand and the South Pacific.
Zoe is a Year 9 student at Adelaide’s St Aloysius College, where prayers were held on Tuesday for her and her family.
In a statement, St Aloysius College principal Paddy McEvoy said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Zoe and her family. The SAC chapel is open and school counsellors are on hand to support students.
“We know that you share our sadness at this time.
“We turn to our loving God to give us strength and courage in the days ahead.”
Mr Dallow is a lawyer and his wife is a senior reserve engineer with Santos, whose managing director and CEO Kevin Gallagher issued a statement confirming Ms Hosking and her family were missing.
“Lisa has been part of the Santos family since 1998,” Mr Gallagher said.
“She is a very well respected engineer, and a good friend to many throughout the business.
“This news has distressed many of our people and support has been offered to Lisa’s teammates.
“Our thoughts are with Lisa’s family and all those affected by this tragedy.”
Mr Dallow runs his own law firm, Dallow Legal, with a special focus on dispute resolution and affordable legal representation.
He is currently a member of the Rotary Club of Adelaide where he has served as president in addition to other leadership roles.
Adelaide Rotary Club president Adriano Cistertino wrote on the club’s Facebook page that they were holding out for a miracle.
“Sad news but still hope!” he wrote. “We are praying and hoping for better news.”
Mr Dallow’s great passion outside of his community work is tennis, and he has umpired at the Australian Open on 11 occasions and been a community umpire in South Australia for the past 17 years.
Like Mr Dallow and the Hoskings, Anthony Langford, 51, his wife, Kristine, their son Jesse, 19, and daughter Winona, 17, from North Willoughby in Sydney, are believed to have been on the island when the volcano erupted, and have been listed as missing on the New Zealand Red Cross’s Restoring Family Links website.
On a trip to mark Mr Langford’s birthday, the family had also been travelling on the cruise liner Ovation of the Seas and family say they were due to visit White Island.
Despite warnings from New Zealand Police that it does not believe anyone remains alive on the island, Mr Langford’s brother Rodney told Seven News his family hoped they would be found sheltering there.
“All we know is that they went on a cruise on White Island, there was an explosion and they’re missing,’’ he said.
Three Queenslanders were still unaccounted for, including Brisbane woman Julie Richards, 47, and her daughter Jessica, 20.
Family of the pair told the ABC they were on the Ovation of the Seas and had taken a tour to see the volcano on Monday.
Robert Rogers, 78, from Herberton in north Queensland, was also listed as missing on the Red Cross website.
Jason Griffiths, 33, who was travelling with Mr Elzer and Ms Matthews of Coffs Harbour, has been admitted to hospital.
Mr Griffiths’ brother-in-law, Steve Jarzynski, told New Zealand media his wife’s older brother had suffered serious injuries and was in a critical condition.
“He’s hurt pretty bad,” Mr Jarzynski told stuff.co.nz.
He said his wife, Melissa, was trying to get to New Zealand to be with her brother but was struggling to afford flights.
Retired Westpac project manager Nick London and his wife, Marion, both 56 and from Engadine in NSW, were also in hospital.
Others marked as missing on the Red Cross list included Melbourne woman Krystal Browitt, 21, Sydney woman Jane Murray, 56, Bathurst woman Maureen Jones, 68, and Martin Hollander, 48, Jacquelyn Zammit and Susan Maree Cole, who were listed as Australians with no place of residence detailed.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the country’s thoughts were with the Australians affected by the tragedy.
“In particular, our family in Australia has been heavily impacted. We feel the pull of our bond acutely at this time.’’
New Zealand Red Cross: redcross.org.nz
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