A routine sightseeing trip to a remote volcano island off the coast of New Zealand turned deadly in 2019.
Now, a new documentary from directorRory Kennedyand executive producersLeonardo DiCaprio,Ron Howardand Brian Grazer details the fateful excursion, which resulted in the deaths of 22 tourists.
Through first-hand accounts,The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaarichronicles what happened on that day in December 2019, when 47 visitors and guides were trapped “in the epicenter of a boiling pyroclastic surge of toxic dust and ash,” according to a synopsis for the film, when the volcano unexpectedly erupted.
“It was a beautiful day, you could feel the heat from the volcano,” a member of the excursion says in a voiceover in thenew trailer for the film.
Another tourist adds, “From the description, it was a nice easy hike. They didn’t make it sound dangerous.”
Netflix
Those who were on the island that day recall an “unbearable” heat that tore through their clothing, and a dire situation that made them doubt whether they would escape with their lives, recalled one honeymooning couple.
Complicating the rescue, area authorities were unable to respond at first due to the inherent danger of the situation, so the local community was forced to band together to help those who were caught in the volcano’s crosshairs.
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The movie also benefits from the input of one survivor who provided 16 minutes of “powerful and heartbreaking, never-before-shared cell phone video and audio,” Kennedy said, recorded from the moment the volcano erupted until the moment of rescue.
The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaaripremieres on Netflix Dec. 16.
source: people.com
