A man lost his footing and fell from a 300-foot cliff Wednesday evening at Kilauea caldera in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
At about 6:30 p.m, visitors reported that the man fell from a cliff at Kilauea caldera. The man had just climbed over a permanent metal railing at the Steaming Bluff overlook to get closer to the cliff edge, according to HVNP.
HVNP rangers and rescue personnel from Hawaii County Fire Department rescued the man.
Responders arrived quickly after and began a coordinated search-and-rescue of the area. At approximately 9 p.m., the man was found alive but seriously injured on a narrow ledge about 70 feet down from the cliff edge.
Rescue personnel successfully completed a high-angle extrication and, with support from a Department of Defense helicopter, the man was airlifted to Hilo Medical Center for urgent care.
“Visitors should never cross safety barriers, especially around dangerous and destabilized cliff edges,” said Chief Ranger John Broward. “Crossing safety barriers and entering closed areas can result in serious injuries and death.”
The last fall fatality in the park occurred on Oct. 29, 2017.