A toddler almost plunged into an erupting volcano on Christmas Day, with his mother grabbing him “in the nick of time”.
The near-miss happened at the edge of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, where families had gathered to watch fountains of orange lava spew into the air.
The toddler wandered away from his family past a safety barrier and within a “split second” ran toward the 400ft (120m) 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 US National Park Service (NPS) said.
The NPS reiterated a blunt warning that visitors who “ignore the warnings, walk past closure signs, lose track of loved ones… do so at great risk”.
It urged visitors to stick to marked trails, stay out of closed areas and keep a close eye on children.
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Lava spews from Hawaiian volcano
Park superintendent Rhonda Loh 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.”
Tourist safety is of “utmost concern” to the NPS, but “we rely on everyone to recreate responsibility”, she said.
“National parks showcase nature’s splendour, but they are not playgrounds.”
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Kilauea started erupting on 23 December, sending “vigorous high fountains” of molten rock 250ft (80m) into the air in phases, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.
It is one of the most active in the world, erupting eight times since 2020, including in June and September this year.
