Toddler nearly falls off cliff overlooking Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano
A toddler could have plummeted to his death on Christmas Day at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano if not for his mother's quick reaction, officials said.
A toddler could have plummeted to his death on Christmas Day at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano if not for his mother's quick reaction, officials said.
The National Park Service said in a statement that the toddler wandered off from his family at the Kilauea Overlook and snuck past the barrier blocking onlookers from the volcano before running toward the 400-foot cliff edge.
"His mother, screaming, managed to grab him in the nick of time just a foot or so away from a fatal fall," the NPS said. "Disaster was averted, and the shaken family departed."
The park service urged visitors to stay on trail and out of closed areas and to keep their kids close by, especially when watching the volcano from viewpoints along Crater Rim Trail.
"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," the NPS said in its news release.
Rating: 5