Man plunges 30 feet trying to get closer to erupting volcano, HI officials say
A man plunged 30 feet from a cliff after going off-trail to get a better view of an erupting volcano in Hawaii, officials said.
The 30-year-old sustained minor injuries to his face, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park wrote in a June 13 post on Facebook.
A tree “prevented him from plunging another hundred feet or so to the caldera floor, which could have resulted in his death,” according to officials.
The man fell June 11 while visiting Kīlauea, officials said.
The volcano on the island of Hawaii has been shooting lava into the air on and off since December, often drawing crowds.
The man said he fell after getting “too close to the sheer cliff edge,” according to officials, who noted he didn’t have a headlamp or flashlight.
Rangers “performed a high-angle rescue that involved rappelling down the steep, heavily vegetated cliff face” to reach him, officials said. They then hoisted him out.
While in the park, visitors should stick to marked overlooks and trails, stay within railings and safety barriers, wear shoes with good traction for hiking, and bring a headlamp or flashlight at night, officials said.
.JPG)