A 30-year-old Boston man trying to get a closer glimpse of the ongoing eruption of Kīlauea volcano was rescued by first responders on Wednesday, June 11, after falling 30 feet from a steep cliff in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
Park officials said Friday that the man, who suffered minor facial injuries, fell after venturing off Byron Ledge Trail.
"He told search-and-rescue rangers that he wanted a closer look at the Kīlauea volcano eruption and got too close to the sheer cliff edge," an announcement from HVPN noted. The man did not have a headlamp or flashlight.
The park said that a tree broke the man's fall and kept him from plummeting another 100 feet or so to the caldera floor — a drop that could have killed him.
According to the announcement, park dispatch was alerted to the incident around 9 p.m. that night. Its search-and-rescue team "responded quickly and performed a high-angle rescue that involved rappelling down the steep, heavily vegetated cliff face and hoisting the man to safety."
There's been an influx of visitors to HVNP since Kīlauea's current eruption in Halema‘uma‘u crater within Kaluapele, the summit caldera, began Dec. 23, 2024.
Park spokesperson Jessica Ferracane told Aloha State Daily in an email Friday that there have been two eruption-related search and rescues since the start of the current eruption.
Ferracane previously told ASD that if you're visiting the park, which is open 24-7, at night, you should bring a head lamp or flashlight — and stay away from cliff edges.
"There are steep and undercut cliff edges with nearly 500-foot drops along the caldera rim," she told ASD in May. "Stay on trail and out of closed areas. There are plenty of safe overlooks along Crater Rim Trail and the caldera rim to safely watch eruptive activity."
The park on Friday shared similar warnings about volcanic hazards:
— Stay on marked trails and overlooks, and don't approach cracks in the earth or cliff edges, which are often unstable, undercut or hidden by vegetation or loose rocks.
— Don't climb over rock walls, railings or safety barriers.
— Keep an eye on the people in your group, especially children.
— Carry a flashlight or headlamp at night and wear sturdy footwear with good traction while hiking. Learn more about the park's hiking opportunities here.
The eruption is in a closed area of the park, but is visible from many overlooks along the caldera rim, announcement said.
The U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said Friday that episodes of lava fountaining have occurred about once a week since the eruption started. Episode 25 started around noon and ended around 8:08 p.m. Wednesday. Lava fountains reached more than 1,000 feet high, the park noted.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
