Seems a decision was made that the island was too dangerous to mount an official rescue, but three local helicopter pilots decided to have a crack anyway - quite heroic:

“It was very hard to breathe and without a gas mask we were gasping for air, but … adrenaline takes over. I’d rather break a few rules and save some lives than sit here wondering what we could have done.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/10/new-zealand-volcano-helicopter-pilot-says...