American man survives 70-foot fall in Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii

An American soldier in Hawaii was seriously injured after falling 21 meters into one of the most active volcanoes on the planet, park officials said.

Rangers rescued the 32-year-old man, who would have climbed over a metal railing overlooking the Kilauea Caldera in Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park.

According to witnesses, the ground collapsed under the victim's feet, which made him dive into the cliff.

He lands on a ledge, stopping him to fall into the crater.

Witnesses said that the man was part of a group that had stopped at the Steaming Bluff Wednesday around 18:30 local time.

"Around 9 pm [local time]The man was found alive but seriously injured on a narrow ledge about 20 meters from the edge of the cliff, "said Parks officials in a statement.

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"The rescuers were able to extricate themselves with ropes and trash and with the help of a Department of Defense helicopter, the man was flown to the airport. at Hilo Medical Center for urgent care. "

On Thursday, the state of the unidentified man went from critical to stable.

Army officials told KGMB-TV that it was a soldier from the Schofield barracks who had gone to Big Island as part of 39, a training mission.

Chief Ranger John Broward warned that visitors should never cross security gates, "especially around dangerous and destabilized cliff edges".

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The Kilauea volcano erupted last year, destroying about 700 homes over an area of ​​nearly 22 square miles (22 km²).

According to the United States Geological Survey, Kilauea "is among the most active volcanoes in the world and could even be at the top of the list", which has been in an almost constant eruption since 1983.

The last fatality in the park took place in October 2017.

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