Warning after toddler nearly falls off cliff

A Hawaii national park has issued a new warning to tourists after a toddler was caught “at the last moment” falling off the edge of an erupting volcano.

The boy walked away from his family and “in a split second, ran directly toward the edge of the 400-foot cliff” of the Kilauea volcano, the park said.

“His mother, screaming, managed to grab him,” the park added in its statement, when the boy was “just a foot away from a fatal fall.”

Ranger Jessica Ferracane, who observed the incident, told the BBC that she hopes sharing details of the incident will help “prevent future tragedies.”

Kilauea, on the Big Island of Hawaii, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

It erupts routinely, and the last eruption began on December 23 with Lava pictured gushing toward the surface.

The eruption continues at a low level within a closed area of ​​the national park, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said. in its latest update on Saturday.

The park said the incident occurred on Christmas Day in a closed area of ​​the park where families had gathered to watch the lava.

It was in an area overlooking the caldera – the volcano’s large crater – and the boy would not have survived the fall, Ferracane said.

Park rangers said they want to remind visitors to stay on trails and out of closed areas, and to keep their children close.

“Those who ignore warnings, ignore closure signs, lose track of loved ones, and sneak into closed areas to get a closer look do so at great risk.”

Ferracane added: “We hope that sharing the news prevents future tragedies and near misses.”