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The park said the child wandered away from the parents and ran straight towards the 400-foot cliff edge. He was grabbed “in the nick of time” by his mother.
Kilauea is an active volcano with latest eruptions beginning on December 23. (US National Park Service)
In a miraculously close call, a toddler was grabbed “in the nick of time” from falling into an erupting volcano, prompting the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to issue a new warning to tourists.
The park said the little boy wandered off from the family and “in a split second, ran straight towards the 400-foot cliff edge” of the Kilauea volcano. His “screaming” mother managed to grab him when he was just a foot away from a fatal fall.
Park ranger Jessica Ferracane, who was a witness to the incident, told BBC that she hopes sharing details of the incident will prevent “future tragedies”. Notably, Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
Kilauea routinely erupts, with the latest eruption beginning on December 23. The eruption is continuing at a low level within a closed area of the national park, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said in its latest update on Saturday.
“Those who ignore the warnings, walk past closure signs, lose track of loved ones, and sneak into closed areas to get a closer look do so at great risk,” said Ferracane. “Hopefully sharing the news will prevent future tragedies and near-misses.”
The incident happened on Christmas Day in a closed area of the park overlooking the large crater of the volcano, where families had gathered to watch the lava.
