The 30-year-old man had to be rescued by his first responder in Hawaii National Park after falling about 30 feet from a steep cliff while trying to better view the Kiraua volcanic eruption earlier this month, officials said.
According to a news release from Hawaii National Parks, the incident and subsequent rescues unfolded on June 11th, with rescuers responding to a fall report at around 9pm.
Kirauia began erupting around 12pm that day, reaching over 1,000 feet, spitting out a lava fountain depicting crowds of onlookers.
The 30-year-old Boston tourist who didn’t have a flashlight or headlamps was off the Byron Ledge Trail, officials said.
The first responder, who had been managing traffic in the eruption at the time of the incident, quickly headed towards the location, lowering the face of a steeply vegetated cliff and pulling up the rescuers, who had to pull up, bringing the man back to safety.
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – May 11: Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano erupts 21 times on May 11, 2025 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. (Photo: Gary Miller/Getty Images) Hawaii National Park rescuers saw them preparing for a high angle cliff face rescue on June 11, 2025 (NPS/F. Aiona)
“The tree broke the man’s fall and prevented him from plunging about 100 more feet into the caldera floor.
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Since it began erupting in 2024, Hawaii National Parks have skyrocketed to visitors, all of which have remained consistently marked trails, climbing safety rails, carrying flashlights and headlamps, and wearing sturdy hiking footwear, rather than venturing into the air.
In a horrifying Christmas Day incident, the toddler wandered from his family, coming within a foot of falling off the edge of a 400-foot cliff, USA Today reported.
“People ignore warnings, pass closure signs, lose track of their loved ones, sneak into closed areas and take great risks,” Park officials said after the incident.
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