A pair of U.S.-born teenage brothers have been identified as victims of the New Zealand volcano eruption, while their parents remain missing.
The boys’ parents, Martin Hollander, 48, and Barbara Hollander, 50, are still unaccounted for, according to theChicago Tribune.
Courtesy Knox Grammar School
Barbara and Martin Hollander.Courtesy Knox Grammar School
“They were a great family,” Chicago neighbor Jeff Richmond told the outlet. “The boys were very nice, always active and always outdoors. They were very pleasant people.”
New Zealand volcano.AUCKLAND RESCUE HELICOPTER TRUST/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Both Matthew and Ben were heavily involved in the school, and both played various sports and participated in the Australian Army Cadets, James wrote.
“Matthew had a close circle of friends and was popular amongst his peers. He was always enthusiastic about life and was actively involved in school and year group activities,” the letter read. “Ben’s engaging smile and quirky sense of humor made him a good mate to his close group of friends and a welcome member to every classroom.”
Dad Martin’sLinkedInpage lists him as an investment director at Wipunen Incrementum Capital in Sydney.
The boys are among eight confirmed victims of the White Island eruption, though the death toll is suspected to be 16, as eight people remain missing on the island.
Nick Perry/AP/Shutterstock
A State Department official confirms to PEOPLE that U.S. citizens are among those injured and missing following the incident, but that identification of victims is still ongoing.
The U.S. Embassy in New Zealand said in astatementit was aware “of U.S. citizen casualties,” though a number remains unclear. There were nine U.S. citizens on the island when the volcano erupted.
PolicesaidThursday they had developed a plan to recover the bodies that are still on the island, though it remained contingent on various risks, including weather conditions.
“A lot has to go right for us tomorrow to make this work,” police said in a statement. “There is no zero risk option in regard to the plan but we have carefully considered it. We don’t expect the risk to change tonight or tomorrow but we have planned for it.”
At least 28 patients are still being treated in six hospitals across New Zealand, and 23 are in critical condition, officials said.
“There were 23 people that had their lives in our hands,” his daughter Lillani toldStuff. “It was probably the longest two hours of my life.”
Forty-seven people were visiting the island when the volcano erupted, and more than three dozen were traveling on Royal Caribbean’s cruise ship Ovation of the Seas.
source: people.com
