The man in charge of sending Defence Force officers onto Whakaari after the eruption has spoken of the stress and the sleepless night before the high risk mission.
Four days after the disaster, a team of eight ventured back on the island to recover six bodies - at that time there was still a 40 to 60 percent chance of another eruption.
The mission was considered so dangerous, the Defence Force chief had to sign a special exemption bypassing Health and Safety protocols.
Charlotte Cook reports.
