Officials urge caution after toddler nearly falls from 400-foot cliff while family visits erupting Kīlauea volcano
National Park officials urged caution after a toddler nearly fell off a 400-foot cliff while the family visited erupting volcano Kīlauea. After a three-month pause the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii started erupting on Dec. 23, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.
The toddler had wandered off from his family “in a split second,” park officials said, as they were admiring the lava glow within Kaluapele – the Kilauea caldera – at sunset on Dec. 23. He ran straight toward the 400-foot cliff edge and his screaming mother managed to grab him in the nick of time just a foot or so away from a fatal fall, officials 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,” Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh said in a statement. “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.”
Park officials said the family was behind a closed area beyond the post-and-cable barrier at Kīlauea Overlook. Officials reminded visitors to stay on the trail, stay out of closed areas and to keep their children close – especially when watching Kīlauea from viewpoints along Crater Rim Trail.
U.S. Geological Surgey
The volcano eruption from Dec. 23rd has entered its second pause, said the UGSG, but eruptions could start any time. Toxic gas emissions are still high and can be particularly dangerous for children. Volcanic gas includes sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide.
The December 2024 eruption – had lava fountains as high as 262 feet with molten material – and was the fifth eruption at Kilauea since December 2020. Roughly 400 acres of the caldera floor was covered in lava, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
The last eruption on Kilauea was in June 2024 and lasted about five days. The volcano also erupted in September 2023 and lasted for a week, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
contributed to this report.