Two Australian victims of the White Island volcano eruption have been identified, according to their family. Julie Richards, 47, and her daughter Jessica, 20, were on the island at the time of the eruption. John Mickel, a friend of the family, told Channel 7 the family are “united in grief” after receiving a call from New Zealand police Wednesday morning. “They really loved the cruise atmosphere but more particularly they loved the adventurism that went with all the outdoor sports,” he said. The Guardian reports Jessica was a promising AFL player and was studying at the University of Queensland. Three others have been confirmed dead after the volcano erupted Monday morning while tourists were on the island. Dr. Peter Watson, chief medical officer at Counties Manukau, said during a press conference that there are 30 patients in burn units across New Zealand, and one person is being transferred to a facility in Sydney. Watson said 22 of the 30 patients in hospital still need airway support, and that doctors are “almost” done identifying all the victims.
A representative of the family of Julie Richards and her daughter Jessica, the first confirmed Australian victims of the NZ volcano eruption, has spoken to the media. #TDE7pic.twitter.com/ZbCAtpOoRo
