White Island eruption: Disappointment after unsuccessful weekend search

Crews looking for two bodies that remain missing after the Whakaari/White Island eruption earlier this month are disheartened after an unsuccessful weekend searching.

It is presumed that the bodies of local tour guide Hayden Marshall-Inman and Australian teenager Winona Langford were washed out to sea.

Local Coastguard operators worked longer than expected to try and recover the bodies but came up empty.

"They're disappointed with the result of not having found anything, primarily because they haven't got anything good to report to police and in turn to those who are suffering at the moment," says Coastguard regional manager Sunny Peeters.

"It's unfortunate we haven't been able to turn anything up even though there's been an extensive effort put in and we'll wait and see what happens as directed by police."

Sixteen people have been confirmed dead following the eruption on December 9, with an additional two unaccounted for. 

Local Coastguard staff have been scouring the area for days looking for the bodies of Marshall-Inman and Langford.

"The crews have really worked hard. They're all volunteers - it is a big, big input that they've put in but sadly to turn up nothing is not the result that they wanted," says Peeters.

If anyone finds a body floating in the water or on the coast, they are urged to call 111 and wait at the location until emergency services arrive.