In brief
A mother narrowly saved her toddler from a fall into the 400ft cliff edge of the Kilauea volcano, leading to heightened safety warnings for visitors at the national park.
A terrifying incident unfolded on Christmas Day at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano, where a toddler nearly plunged off the edge of a 400ft cliff. The little boy, who had wandered away from his family while they watched the ongoing eruption, was "just a foot or so away from a fatal fall" when his mother managed to grab him in the nick of time, according to a statement from the national park.Park ranger Jessica Ferracane, who witnessed the near-disaster, expressed hopes that sharing this incident would help avert similar occurrences in the future. Kilauea, found on Hawaii's Big Island, is recognized as one of the world's most active volcanoes, with the current eruption beginning on December 23.The playground for this dangerous scenario was a designated closed area where families had gathered to witness the lava flow. Ferracane emphasized that the boy's fall would have been fatal, indicating the grave danger present in that location.In light of this alarming event, park rangers have issued a reminder to visitors to remain on trails and adhere strictly to closure signs. They urged families to maintain close supervision of their children, with the ranger stating, “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.”Officials are hopeful that sharing this cautionary tale will instigate a greater awareness around volcano safety, preventing future tragedies from occurring at the park.
