I suffered burns in New Zealand volcano blast that killed dad & sis – but people still ask the same disgusting question

A SURVIVOR of a volcano blast that killed two members of her family has revealed the insulting question people still insist on asking.

Stephanie Browitt, 25, lost her dad Paul and 21-year-old sister Krystal when the White Island volcano in New Zealand erupted while they were on a day trip from a cruise ship on December 9, 2019.

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After suffering horror burns to 70 per cent of her body in the tragedy that claimed the lives of 22 people, Stephanie - from Melbourne, Australia - has bravely been documenting her road to recovery.

But she has now told how people still constantly ask why she and her family "couldn't jump in the water if it's an island".

Speaking on TikTok, Stephanie decided to address the ignorant question by showing her followers where she and her family were on the island when the eruption happened.

"A common question I get as a survivor of the White Island eruption is 'why couldn't you jump in the water if it's an island'," she said.

"Well as you can see, that's us, circled, on the island that day, at 2.10pm. And the walls are extremely high up, and we are only surrounded by rock. We are nowhere near the jetty, and nowhere near the ocean.

"We are as inland as you can get and under 140-metres from the crater. So my family and I were at the back of that line, and it was only about a two-minute walk, we had only just started walking back to the jetty.

"This is the same camera only 40 seconds to a minute apart, and as you can see the island was already engulfed in ash and dust.

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"So we were never, ever, ever going to make it to water. There was literally no chance for the group of 21 people I was with."

Stephanie's mum Marie had stayed behind on the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship and watched on in terror as the volcano erupted.

The family were unable to escape the deadly blast, and Stephanie was stuck on the island in agony waiting for rescue teams to find her.

Tragically, her younger sister died and, one month into his battle to survive, Paul also lost his life on January 12, 2020.

Stephanie suffered horrendous burns to 70 per cent of her body, lost parts of her fingers, and was forced to spend six months in hospital undergoing gruelling operations and skin grafts.

She's since courageously taken to social media to share updates from her recovery, from the moment she was reunited with her mum at home, to ongoing procedures.

We were never, ever, ever going to make it to water. There was literally no chance for the group of 21 people I was with.

Stephanie Browitt

Taking to Instagram on the two year anniversary of the disaster last month, she wrote: "Today's not only the day I survived the unimaginable, it's the day I lost my dad, Paul and sister, Krystal. It's the day that they were taken from us.

"My accomplishments mean nothing to me knowing they aren't shared with my sister and dad by my side.

"Everyday I question why we couldn't have gone through this extremely hard journey together, why they couldn't be here also.

"So when I think about today, it's filled with very mixed emotions. I'm extremely grateful that I was able to make it back home to my mum, but I'm also heartbroken that only I made it back. We are a family of four, not two.

"My heart hurts when I remember what I felt that day, but it hurts more not knowing what my dad and sister felt, that I wasn't next to them during their last moments."

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