Trapped in the Volcano

It was the height of the summer cruise season and for many on board the Ovation of the Seas it was the trip of a lifetime. The luxury cruise to New Zealand promised great entertainment and the opportunity to get up close to the renowned natural beauty of the Land of the Long White Cloud. But on the afternoon of December 9 the dream holiday turned into a deadly nightmare when a group of cruise ship passengers and other day trippers became trapped in the middle of a volcanic eruption. 47 people were in the famous White Island volcano crater when it erupted. 21 were killed, 19 of them were from the Ovation of the Seas. This program investigates what the tourists were told, what they understood about the dangers of visiting New Zealand’s most active volcano and whether more could have been done to prevent the tragedy, that left so many dead and others with lifelong traumatic injuries. It is also the story of the incredible heroism and compassion shown by those on the scene.