Matthew and Lauren Urey were expecting a relaxing and scenic vacation when they joined a Royal Caribbean excursion to visit White Island off of the coast of New Zealand for their honeymoon. Instead, a surprise volcanic explosion left the couple covered in severe burns and airlifted to separate hospitals to treat the extent of their injuries, according to multiple reports.
For the couple’s parents, the nightmare began when Lauren’s mother Barbara Barham’s phone rang shortly after midnight on Monday. Barbara told The Washington Post that it was Royal Caribbean on the line, asking if she had heard from her daughter. Shortly thereafter, Lauren’s mother-in-law called Barbara to relay a terrifying message: Matthew had left his mother a voicemail saying “there had been a volcano eruption and they were burned very bad.”
“He said he would try to call as soon as he could, but talking and making phone calls was difficult,” Barbara told The Post. “His hands were so badly burned it was hard for him to make a phone call.”
“Obviously, I’m panicking. I don’t know how to act,” she told the outlet. “I feel like I should be crying, but I can’t even cry.”
The couple, originally from Richmond, Va., were sightseeing for their honeymoon nearly two months after their wedding, according to People. Lauren and Matthew were two of 47 people visiting White Island when the fateful eruption struck.
As of Tuesday morning, New Zealand police confirmed that of those, five people are confirmed dead and eight people remained unaccounted for.
Fortunately for Lauren and Matthew, their love story didn’t end on the island. While the two each suffered severe burns, they were airlifted to separate hospitals and are currently recovering from their injuries.
Lauren was sent to a hospital in Auckland to undergo surgery for burns covering 20% of her body, while Matthew is recovering in a Christchurch hospital from burns covering 80% of his body, according to People.
Both of their families intend to travel to New Zealand to be with their children as they recover, according to The Washington Post.