HORRIFIC

U.S. Honeymoon Couple Suffer Severe Burns in New Zealand Volcano Eruption

Lauren and Matthew Urey were on a cruise ship that took them on an excursion to the volcanic island.

A newlywed American couple on their honeymoon suffered severe burns from the deadly volcanic eruption in New Zealand. Lauren Urey and her husband, Matthew, were honeymooning on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship that took them on an excursion to the volcanic White Island. Lauren’s mother, Barbara Barham, told The Washington Post she got a call from Royal Caribbean shortly after midnight asking if she had heard from Lauren, who hadn’t returned to the ship after the eruption. Then she got a call from Matthew’s mother, who, Barham recalled, said the couple “had been on the excursion and 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. His hands were so badly burned, it was hard for him to make a phone call.” A hospital representative has told Barham that Lauren has burns on least 20 percent of her body, while Matthew has burns that cover about 80 percent of his body.