A visitor from Boston stepped off the trail near the Kilauea crater late at night to get a better view of the lava. He had no flashlight, no headlamp, and no business being that close to the cliff’s edge. He fell thirty feet into brush that barely broke what could have been a 100-foot drop into the caldera.
Rangers said the man was lucky. A tree stopped him from continuing that other hundred feet into the caldera, where the outcome would almost certainly have been fatal. He left the park with facial injuries—and a national story that’s become all too familiar to those who work at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
This isn’t the first time someone’s ignored the signs. And after what’s been happening lately, it’s hard not to ask: how many more people have to fall, get injured, or killed, before something changes?
Kilauea’s history of close calls and tragedies.
The Boston visitor’s fall is only the latest in a long list of avoidable incidents at the park.
Years ago, we wrote about a toddler who slipped away from their parents near the same area and nearly went over a 400-foot drop. The child was saved only because someone happened to catch them.
And in 2018, 23 people were injured when a lava explosion hit a tour boat that got too close to the ocean entry point. One woman’s leg was broken by a rock that punched through the boat’s roof.
These aren’t isolated stories. They’re part of a known, predictable pattern that intensifies whenever lava is active and visible.
Why visitors ignore warnings at Kilauea.
There are rope barriers, signs, and rangers stationed throughout the park. Despite all of that, people keep stepping over the line—literally and figuratively—almost every time the lava flow returns, and lately, that’s been very frequently.
It’s not a matter of unclear guidance or poor visibility. The warnings are everywhere. What’s changed is the mindset: too many visitors believe the rules don’t apply to them. They assume they’ll be careful, that nothing will go wrong, and that getting a slightly better photo is worth the risk.
This isn’t about misunderstanding danger. It’s about discounting the risks, often in full view of others, to try to stay safe.
The hidden cost of rescues at Hawaii’s volcanoes.
In this week’s case, search and rescue crews were already stationed nearby. They managed crowds and eruption logistics when the call came in, making the response possible within minutes. That timing was fortunate, but there’s no reason to assume it will be next time.
Whenever someone goes over a cliff or gets stranded on a lava field, first responders are pulled away from other essential duties, sometimes for hours. These rescues aren’t simple. They require climbing gear, coordination, and real risk to the people involved.
Hawaii parks don’t have unlimited resources. And every time someone breaks the rules for a better photo or adrenaline rush, the system gets stretched even thinner.
Hawaii’s wild landscapes are where beauty and danger uniquely collide.
Hawaii isn’t curated nature. It’s alive, changing, and often deadly in subtle ways until they aren’t. That’s true on land as it is in the ocean.
Crater rims look solid until they collapse. Trails are safe until a visitor steps a few feet too far. The glow of lava masks the instability of the ground below.
Too many visitors arrive with their mainland assumptions: everything dangerous will be roped off, lit up, or staff will monitor every edge. But as we’ve said repeatedly, this isn’t Disneyland. In this case, it’s Hawaii’s living volcanic environment.
The land doesn’t care about your sense of adventure.
Social media is fueling risky behavior.
There’s another pressure at work here—one that rangers can’t rope off.
In the age of TikTok and Instagram Reels, standing near a crater isn’t just an experience. It’s become essential content, and some visitors will risk their lives to create it.
We’ve seen and reported on it firsthand: people dangling cameras over ledges, crossing barriers with selfie sticks, and walking out at night with nothing but their phone light to guide them. The closer and more extreme the shot, the more likely it is to get shared—and that dynamic isn’t going away anytime soon.
So the question becomes harder to avoid: is a few seconds of online engagement worth a one-way trip into a crater?
What could change behavior?
More signage and barriers will not do it. Visitors who are determined to get closer will find a way.
What might help is something much more challenging to implement: blunt honesty. Instead of vague language like “unstable terrain” or “authorized personnel only,” maybe signs should just say what rangers think: You’re about to do something stupid. People have died here for less.
That still won’t stop everyone, but it might be enough to jolt a few people into stepping back instead of forward.
For those coming to see the lava.
We understand the draw. Watching lava move across a crater is one of the most unforgettable experiences you can have in Hawaii, and when it’s active, the instinct is to get as close as possible. But that desire often collides with danger—and with disappointment.
This isn’t a scheduled performance. It’s not a controlled attraction. The volcano doesn’t cooperate with your itinerary, and the viewing areas don’t consistently deliver what people expect. As we recently explained in why you might not see the lava at all, visibility is often poor or completely blocked due to weather, crowds, or shifting eruption patterns.
If you’re lucky enough to witness it, do so safely. That means staying behind barriers, listening to rangers, and understanding that no photo is worth crossing the line. The glow is visible from a distance for a reason, and getting a few feet closer doesn’t make it more real.
Kilauea is already speaking loudly. You don’t need to stand on its edge to hear it!
What will it take to change?
Maybe it’s time we stopped calling these events “accidents.” That word suggests something unforeseen or unavoidable, but that’s not happening here. When there are signs, ropes, warnings, staff, and a long history of people getting hurt for doing the same thing, it stops being accidental.
These are choices. And they carry consequences—not just for the individuals who make them, but for the first responders who are called to save them. The following person might not be so lucky and land in a tree. And that’s the part no one thinks about until it’s too late.
Your thoughts?
Have you visited Kilauea? What was your experience like? Did you see visitors ignoring warnings, or feel tempted yourself? We’d love to hear your perspective in the comments.
Photo Credit: Hawaii DLNR.
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Social media is Indeed fueling risky behavior. It also fuels over crowding, damage to trails, roadways, housing, airplane issues, the list goes on Because social media will be the death of the world some day! The dummying down of the world is insane!
Anyone with two or more brain cells and an ounce of common sense would know not to come close to let alone cross the barriers. Continuous seismic activity is causing the crater rim to crack and those cracks keep expanding.
Content creators are constantly living at the intersection of FOMO.
Make all visitors sign a waiver saying Volcanoes are known to be dangerous and tbey will comply with all posted signs and instructions from park officials. Then acknowledge that conduct breaching these terms and conditions waives all liability for death damage or injury.
I think it is ridiculous that everyone has to work harder to teach kids what their parents should be teaching them. Common sense, intelligent, respect all begin in the home. Our prices keep getting higher, because we have to pay for idiots.
Wow!! Two e now in that same spot. Try closing the trail altogether. Ya think!!! Start charging lawbreakers. It’s time to get serious about this pattern of people doing the wrong thing and jeorpardizing safety personnel and themselves. You notice I put 1st responders first in my last sentence. Hope you all are going to have a safe summer.
Feels like overkill to close the sanctioned trail completely. We shouldn’t punish the rest of us due to stupidity unless the trail is falling apart like Steps to Heaven was.
So put this sign up:
“Congrats, you made it this far safely. If you decide to go further, your fine starts at $10,000. Need to be rescued, another $10,000. If we have to recover your dead body, $10,000. Be smart, turn around!”
What body!!! Instant cremation.
This isn’t a Hawai’i problem and not unique. It’s happening everyday at all National parks and trail heads. We had an IG hiker post as she was heading out for a hike at 10ish am. She said “don’t worry I got 5 gallons of water”. (Ps … it was probably 5 liters , but anyways). She was found dead the next day off the trail. No foul play (but most likely heat exhaustion).
Arizona had 3 hiking deaths in like a 2 week span.
We pay taxes. The money is used for rescues … maybe it’s a visitor or maybe it’s a local.
Funny thing is… Instagram isn’t even the problem for many of these folks. It’s the Vast monetization of Instagram… people making ad money, companies sponsoring these people, patreon that’s the true problem. You’ll always get stupid… but then we have the greedy stupid or greedy/stupid/fame junkies and that might be the most dangerous combo here.
I think it was Forrest Gump who said “Stupid is as stupid does”. Ultimately fines, ropes, and logic aren’t going to register with some people. Snipping the low hanging fruit from the gene pool is the only way some of these people will ever stop.
Perhaps requiring everyone entering the park sign a document making the Hawaii DNR the main beneficiary of their life insurance policy, should said visitor expire in the park due to going where they shouldn’t, would get the visitors attention? If not, it would at least provide some reimbursement for expenses for recovery of what’s left of these idiots!
Volcanoes are not the only danger that brings out the stupidity of visitor in Hawaii. I have seen many people walk right up to blow holes for a better look. And they just totally ignore warnings!
It sounds like you all are trying to solve the puzzle why too many people in our world are stupid. The solution to this problem is obvious; charge the idiots who ignore the many signs on trails and find themselves in trouble and have to call out for rescue, the cost of the rescue. It isn’t fair to the taxpayers of Hawaii to pay for their stupidity.
When anyone breaks the rules,goes out of bounds,etc,put the financial burden on them. While working in CO,that’s how it was handled on the slopes. It’s not like they haven’t been warned. Respect the rules & emergency personnel.
Sounds like there are many qualified candidates for the Darwin Awards. I have no idea how to prevent stupid people from doing stupid things. Been to the active volcano on the Big Island several times and there is always somebody not staying within the “safe” zone. Have hiked in several national parks with similar observations – there’s at least one stupid. Hopefully there is a resolution before someone gets incinerated by lava.
This is all about respect; lack of. These are the same people the disregard signs, posters, warnings of all types. When signs say “Kapu” don’t touch. Everyone knows do not hike alone, but all the time there are reports of searching for someone who’s done so; doesn’t pertain to me because I’m experienced. Always check weather when going hiking or climbing, but people die because a forwarned storm drops on them. When the poster picture shows a Buffalo trampling on a “visitor”, don’t go near the wild beast. When a posted sign says “Don’t go off-piste” otherwise you may fall off a cliff. When the sign says “Turn-around, Don’t Drown”, don’t check to see how deep the water is. At the Grand Canyon there are warnings don’t go over the chains, or wall, but we saw three posing as if one had fallen, and many have died.
People do not have respect for other things, rules, or people, in Hawai’i or other places.
I’m not sure IF anything can turn these actions around.
No tourists in Hawaii, it’s too dangerous.
I used to ski a lot when living o the mainland. Ski runs are marked as to their severity or lack of.
If it is an expert run-3-4 diamonds, signs say you could die on this run.
Perhaps being very blunt is the best advice one can give.
Are there no fines? No restitution for emergency services? No jail time for trespassing? Isn’t it about time for these people to be held responsible for their irresponsible actions? Wake up Hawaii, do you think these people will pay attention to a sign? I don’t think so.
1) Hawaii needs to drive the fines up. $50k. $100k. Jail time etc.
2) If they don’t already, every dime spent to rescue these idiots should be charged to him. Garnish wages.
In addition to the signs maybe that makes it better. Wonder if you could pass the tourist version of Son of Sam law.
My spouse and I have been to HI 5 times and have visited Kilauea each time, both as part of a tour group and by ourselves. While we’ve never really witnessed anyone doing stupid human tricks there, I have at the Grand Canyon a few times (stepping around a physical barrier so one can sit on the possibly-very-unstable edge of the canyon and dangle their feet comes to mind). If people are determined to get their 5 minutes of fame, or get that perfect pic, they’ll find a way to do it, regardless of the danger level.
Short of posting humans that could physically stop these idiots, I’m not sure there’s much else that can be done to save those determined to do what they want to do.
My parents have lived in Kona for 30 years. We currently live in Phoenix metro. Every year near us, tourists go hiking with no water in the middle of summer – and they get very sick or die. I have friends that do search and rescue in the mountains there. It doesn’t matter where you live. Tourists are going to do stupid things, and unfortunately those things often endanger those who were trying to rescue them. I do love your sign idea. I don’t know if it would help anymore than what’s currently there, but at least you can point out that they are being idiots.
This has been going on for a long time. When lava was venting into the sea the rangers marked off a safe trail out to an area close to the vent, yet many people decided to go beyond the safe area in hopes of seeing more. Several years a go a soldier from Oahu went over the edge of the caldera and had to be rescued from a ledge that saved his life. Not sure what it will take to make people truly understand the danger unless someone unfortunately dies.
My husband & I were blessed 15 years ago to witness the lava flow–it was amazing! But the hike was rough & dangers were clearly marked Everywhere. People ignored the signs, were in ridiculous footwear, let their kids run under the ropes all over the place. We wondered how the park rangers handled the blatant disregard to warnings without saying what they had to be thinking. This was before social media was such a big thing. Accidents happen, but when you Choose to ignore warnings on trails and natural sites that all involve a certain level of danger, you are responsible for what happens to you and anyone who has to rescue you. We’ve been on many trails on all the islands except Oahu & they all have warning signs. It’s a choice.
These acts are intentional, people can read, and they still choose to ignore the warnings.
Big fat fines and charge them for the rescue costs. It is probably the only way to deter the perfect “Instagram” moment!
Unfortunately you cannot fix stupid. I guess as you say the only thing left is to post the blunt truth. Warning – Volcanos are dangerous. Failure to follow the safety regulations is life threatening and failure to comply can result in serious injury or death.
And if you manage to come out uninjured, there will be a fine with no recourse. And make the fine at least $1000.00
When we visited Rarotonga (Cook Islands) I asked the couple who owned our AirBnB for a easy hiking trail (wife and kids are not into hiking as much as I). They gave us a trail called Raemaru, said it was the easiest on island. As we departed, they warned us: if you get hurt or lost, no one will come and save you. It is self recovery or nothing. This is true island wide (we saw two large, ocean kayaks go under on a bad day and the only people to help were other boaters) and I surmise this cuts down on people doing ill advised things. I am sure some still do, but probably not as much as we see here in Hawai’i.
Yeah but no way does this pass legal muster in the US.
In addition to fines and to jailing them if caught, the state needs to start prosecuting some to make an example. Ask for max jail time. Basically if they post it, you have a state judge issue an arrest warrant and you send it out nationwide and when they get stopped or whatever, they get arrested and you extradite them back to Hawaii. Make sure if SA, you ask the judge to keep them in jail or to put an anklet on and make it so they can’t leave the island.
You make the trial And everything else miserable for the first few… ask the judge for a gag order on Social Media, make it so they can’t see anything except where they are staying, things like that.
Guaranteed after the first couple, the problem decreases significantly. You’ll never solve 100% but much like the vast vast majority don’t over drink and then drive drunk, the vast majority stick to the signs