Kilauea Volcano Hawaii: Toddler moments from disaster after running to edge of active viewing area

Onlookers were left horrified after a toddler was moments from falling off the side of a viewing area and into one of the world’s most active volcanoes.

The incident occurred on Christmas Day and has forced authorities to implement new measures to keep the public a further distance away and urging for more vigilance.

A Hawaii national park issued new warnings to tourists after the toddler was grabbed “in the nick of time” from falling off the rim of the actively erupting Kilauea volcano.

The little boy wandered off from his family and “in a split second, ran straight toward the 400ft cliff edge” of the Kilauea volcano, the park said.

“His mother, screaming, managed to grab him”, the park authorities said in a statement.

The toddler was “just a foot or so away from a fatal fall”, they added.

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

Kilauea, on Hawaii’s Big Island, is one of the world’s most active volcanoes and has been violently erupting during December.

The eruption is continuing 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 incident occurred in an area overlooking the caldera - the large crater of the volcano - and the boy would not have survived the fall, Ms Ferracane said.

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

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

Ms Ferracane added: “Hopefully sharing the news will prevent future tragedies and near-misses.”