After this week’s incident there is a change in rules for those seeking an up close view of the lava flow. As you know a Big Island lava tour boat suffered from an explosion of hot lava rocks that were thrown through the tour boat’s roof and onto the deck filled with visitors.
Following that accident, boats will now be required to be at least 1,000 feet from the lava entry points according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Boats had generally been required to maintain the 1,000 foot distance from the lava flow for safety. Certain boats, however, were permitted to be as close as 165 feet from the flow entry. It is believed that the boat was only about 750 feet from the flow when the explosion occurred.
Monday’s early morning incident injured 23 passengers. The boat owned by Lava Ocean Tours was bringing visitors to view the Pohoiki lava flow entry point. The lava there continues to enter the ocean following a flow line which is approximately 4 miles long.
Following the Big Island lava boat tour explosion, the boat returned to Hilo where emergency responders assisted the injured and transported some of them to the Hilo Medical Center for treatment.
Beat of Hawaii will be on the Big Island again very soon to check out conditions, view the new lava flow and report with visitor information. Big Island and Volcanoes National Park in particular is a quintessential favorite of ours, is always incredible and even surreal. Here’s what it was like at Big Island Volcanoes National Park before the current events began.
Photo courtesy of State of Hawaii DLNR.
Updated 7/18/2018.
So where do you guys plan on viewing? We flew in for a day from the mainland and our helicopter tour was cancelled and the road when we tried to drive in was closed with police manning the entry point. So I’m curious.
Hi Alfred.
Not sure yet – we’re thinking boat tour without bombs. 🙂 Will be writing about it when we do so stay tuned.
Aloha.
I would hope that this little incident is not going to have a negative impact on this type of tour continuing its operation, especially since this is the first incident of serious injury on this type of tour that I have heard about. My wife and I did this ocean entry lava viewing by boat with another company there on the Big Isle back in 2010. We knew the risks before we went. And we got a lot closer than 200 meters to the entry. I loved it, but my wife’s motion sickness impacted her enjoyment of it – somewhat. So on the next visit, it may just be me going…but I will go.
Thank you for the report Jeff and/or Rob. We do hope there were no serious injuries but it sounds as though one person may have been seriously hurt. My thoughts and prayers are with all those folks.
We are planning another two-week visit to the Big Island in early 2019. We will be looking forward to your report soon. We will be staying in the Waikoloa Village area so we have no fear. Planning to sit on the beach, a bit of hiking, and maybe a horseback ride.
I don’t think visitors have too much to worry about. We just think about all the displaced residents who have lost their homes. An update on those folks would be nice as well.
Much Aloha, Colleen
Hi Colleen.
You guys better not get sick next time! Glad you are planning to return to Hawaii.
Mahalo for staying in touch.
Aloha.
Think Tamiflu next trip! 🙂
We’re coming back in 2020 as well if all gies well.
We’ll see how your trip report and lava tour go before we decide whether we’re going to attempt that or not.
Keep us posted.
Hi Colleen.
Will do. Think you’ll be fine next time. Just a fluke.
Aloha.
Please check your information about how many people went to the hospital, it was more like 4.
Hi Shirley.
It was correct as we reported it.
Aloha.
Not much lava you can actually see — even for us residents, For obvious safety reasons, you can’t get anywjere close to the fissure cone, the flows, and the ocean entries. Nothing is visible, except from miles away. Tour boats and holicopters are your only options, but considtions are not easy for viewing from either and you may end up seeing clouds. (Laze plume, fissure generated low hanging cloud cover..) Everybody is hoping for a break in the activities so that the County can set up a safe viewing area soon.