A father aboard the White Island tour boat that caught ablaze off Whakatane yesterday has recounted what it was like to watch his two children, one of whom doesn't know how to swim, jump off the charter boat and into the water.
Australian Brendan Paterson arrived in New Zealand with his two sons, William and Elliot, last Wednesday for a trip to learn about volcanos and the Maori culture.
But yesterday, they had a very real lesson in boat and water safety instead. He had to watch his two boys jump off a burning boat into rough sea without lifejackets.
"It felt like a monster movie," Elliot says.
The family was on their way back to Whakatane from White Island when they noticed smoke coming from the cabin. They originally thought the engine had broken down.
"Smoke came up; they told us to move to the bow and it started to rock side-to-side," says Mr Paterson. "Then William was the one who saw the first lick of flame and the smoke came up really quick."
That was when the family realised the problem was far more serious.
"I was starting to have trouble breathing. That when it started to get a bit scary," Mr Paterson says.
"I had to make a decision. I could see some other boats coming out and they were about a kilometre out. And the thought that went through my mind is, 'Right, I'll wait until one of them gets fairly close because William was with me. Should I jump?' And you could see the fire coming outside of the boat."
William jumped.
Once he'd been picked up by a boat, Mr Paterson knew it was his youngest, Elliot's, turn. Elliot has autism and isn't a strong swimmer.
"When he hit the water, he went down and he actually went under the boat for a while. I probably lost sight of him for about 15 seconds or so and I thought, 'Is he coming up at all?'
"I knew William was okay but I had no idea about Elliot.
"I was getting weaker until someone saw me and pulled me onto a boat," Mr Paterson says. "It felt like falling off a two-storey building."
Thankfully all three were returned to shore safely.
The family received a ride to Rotorua, where they had been staying. Mr Paterson was later treated for smoke inhalation.
The family lost their digital camera and some clothes, but there were two important things they, luckily, forgot to pack that day – two stuffed teddy bears named Bluey and Browny stayed safe.
Watch the video for the full 3 News report.
