Tears were shed at Whakatane Hospital as staff remembered the harrowing experience of caring for victims of the Whakaari eruption, almost a year ago.
Twenty-two people died following the eruption on December 9 last year. Whakatāne Hospital and its small emergency department was inundated with victims - who were then diverted around the country.
Many victims were foreigners, but some were locals and known by those who treated them.
Morgan Sando, an emergency department nurse, remembers staff from across the hospital coming together to care for the victims.
Duty nurse manager, Dave Henderson, was diverted from his normal job running the hospital to the emergency department.
Emergency clinical nurse specialist, Bronwyn Ives, says she had never seen anything like it in nearly two decades working as a nurse.
