One family’s Christmas holiday at a Hawaii national park almost ended in tragedy after a toddler nearly fell into a smouldering crater.
The US National Park Service has issued an urgent warning to tourists after a child nearly fell into the active crater of the Kilauea volcano before he was rescued ‘in the nick of time.’
The events unfolded when a young boy had managed to wander off from his family and ‘in a split second, ran straight towards the 400ft cliff edge,’ the park service said.
He was just about a foot away from ‘a fatal fall’ before his ‘screaming’ mother managed to grab him, it added.
The ‘shocking’ scene happened on Christmas Day in a closed area beyond the post and cable barrier at the famous volcano’s overlook, sparking the park rangers to remind visitors to strictly stay on trail.
An active alert was issued on December 23 at the volcano after a new eruption was recorded before it slowed down on Christmas Day. It is continuing at a low level within a closed area in the national park, according to BBC News citing the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
A park ranger who witnessed the incident said the boy would not have survived the fall.
Ranger Jessica Ferracane told the BBC sharing details of the incident will help ‘prevent future tragedies and near-misses.’
The volcano’s activity tends to attract more visitors, and last year, more than 1.6 million people trekked to see the beauty spot which is one of the world’s most active volcanos.
However, despite being popular, the eruptions are not without their risks. It can impact air quality and ‘visitor health and safety,’ the park warned.
Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh said that national parks ‘are not playgrounds.’
She said: ‘The hazards that coincide with an eruption are dangerous, and we have safety measures in place including closed areas, barriers, closure signs, and traffic management.
‘Your safety is our utmost concern, but we rely on everyone to recreate responsibility. National parks showcase nature’s splendor but they are not playgrounds.
Earlier this year, a woman died after falling 250ft into a volcano in front of her husband.
Huang Lihong, 31, fell into the Ijen Crater in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia, on April 20 while posing in a picture her husband took.
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