Warning after toddler nearly runs off cliff

A Hawaii zoo has issued a new warning to visitors after a baby was caught “just in time” to avoid falling off the side of an erupting volcano.

The boy got away from his family and “within minutes, ran to the edge of the 400ft” mountain of Kilauea, the park said.

“His mother, screaming, was able to catch him”, the park added in a statement, while the little boy “was only a foot or so away from a fatal fall”.

Park ranger Jessica Ferracane, who witnessed the incident, told the BBC she hoped sharing more information about the incident would help “prevent future problems”.

Kilauea, located on the main island of Hawaii, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

It erupts regularly, and the latest eruption started on 23 December and the drawn lava rushes to the surface.

The eruption continues slowly inside the closed area of ​​the National Park, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said. in his latest statement on Saturday.

The park said the incident happened on Christmas Day in a closed area of ​​the park where families had gathered to watch the eruption.

They were in an area overlooking the caldera – the volcano’s main crater – and the boy would not have survived the fall, Ms Ferracane said.

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

“Those who ignore warnings, bypass closed signs, lose loved ones, and sneak into closed spaces to get a better view do so at great risk.”

Mr. Ferracane added: “I hope that sharing these stories will prevent future problems and near misses.”