10 People Who Actually Fell Into A Volcano

Standing on the rim of a volcano feels like staring into the world’s most dramatic “Do Not Cross” sign.
Most of us take a few photos from behind the railings, maybe buy a lava-rock keychain, and go home
with all limbs attached. But every now and then, someone pushes their lucksometimes literallyand
ends up inside the crater instead of just looking at it.

These are 10 real people who actually fell into volcanic craters, sinkholes, and ravines on active
and dormant volcanoes around the world. Some survived, some didn’t, and nearly all of their stories
started with the same theme: “It looked safe enough…”

1. The Soldier Who Climbed Over the Rail at Kīlauea

What happened

In 2019, a 32-year-old U.S. Army soldier visiting Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park decided the view
from the Steaming Bluff overlook at Kīlauea wasn’t quite good enough. There was a perfectly clear,
very solid-looking metal railing in his way, so he did what safety posters beg you not to dohe
climbed over it to get closer to the edge of the caldera.

The ground gave way, and he plunged about 300 feet from the rim toward the crater. By some small
miracle of physics, he landed on a narrow ledge roughly 70 feet below the rim instead of tumbling
the entire way down. Rangers performed a high-angle rope rescue with help from a military helicopter,
hauling him out in the dark. He survived, but with serious injuries and a lifetime’s worth of “remember
when you…” stories from his friends.

Why it’s on the list

This case is basically the poster child for volcano tourism gone wrong: ignore barriers, chase
a better selfie, get an unplanned flight into a lava-free but very unforgiving hole. It’s also
a rare example of someone falling into a volcano’s caldera and actually being pulled out alive.

2. The 30-Foot Cliff Fall During a Lava Show

What happened

In June 2025, while Kīlauea was busy putting on its 25th eruption episode of the year, a 30-year-old
visitor from the Boston area wanted a closer, more dramatic view of the glowing lava in Hawaiʻi
Volcanoes National Park. Official overlooks and marked trails were apparently too boring, so he
moved off-trail, pushed through vegetation, and stepped closer to the unseen edge of a steep cliff.

He fell roughly 30 feet down toward the caldera. Once again, a tree turned out to be the hero of
the story, breaking his fall and stopping him from plunging another ~100 feet toward the crater floor.
Rangers conducted a technical rope rescue at night, and the man walked away with minor facial injuries
and one very expensive lesson in gravity.

Why it’s on the list

This incident summed up the modern volcano problem: people treat active eruptions like live
entertainment, not a serious natural hazard. The visitor survived, but his story is a real-world
reminder that cliffs, darkness, and lava are not a build-your-own-adventure combo you want to try.

3. The Local Who Slipped Into Halemaʻumaʻu Crater

What happened

Long before social media turned lava into content, Kīlauea was already claiming victims. In the
mid-1990s, a 28-year-old man from the nearby town of Pāhoa was scrambling around the rim of
Halemaʻumaʻu, the inner crater at Kīlauea’s summit. The rocks broke loose beneath him, and he fell
about 30 feet down into the crater.

Rescue crews were able to reach him, but the fall proved fatal. The incident was serious enough
that it ended up in the park’s official incident logs as a stark reminder that even short falls are
deadly when the landing zone is jagged lava rock instead of a nice soft trail.

Why it’s on the list

Unlike visiting tourists, locals often feel more comfortable around the volcano. That comfort can
morph into overconfidence, and this case shows that familiarity doesn’t cancel physics. Even a
30-foot drop into a volcanic crater can be the end of the story.

4. The Navy Officer Chasing His Hat at Kīlauea

What happened

One of the most surreal volcano stories in the Hawaiʻi park records involved a U.S. Navy lieutenant
on shore leave. He was taking photos with shipmates at a Kīlauea overlook when his hat blew off and
over the safety railing. Instead of letting the hat go the way of lost sunglasses everywhere, he
climbed over the barrier to try to grab it.

The ground under his feet wasn’t interested in helping. He slipped, tumbled roughly 100 feet down
toward the caldera, and only stopped because he landed in a tree growing from the cliff face. Rangers
later noted that without that tree, he could have fallen another several hundred feet to the crater
floor.

Why it’s on the list

This is the most expensive hat retrieval attempt you can imagine. It also shows how fast a normal
tourist moment can turn into a technical rescuejust because someone refused to accept that sometimes,
the volcano gets to keep your stuff.

5. The Hiker Who Fell 500 Feet Into Mount St. Helens

What happened

In 2010, a hiker on Washington’s Mount St. Helens was standing only a few feet from the crater rim.
Like many summit photos, the scene probably looked epic: snow, sky, and the gaping crater left from
the 1980 eruption. Then the snow cornicean overhanging lip of hardened snowgave way.

The hiker plummeted about 500 feet into the crater. Incredibly, he survived the fall, though he
suffered serious injuries. Search-and-rescue teams staged a complex operation using ropes and
helicopters to haul him back out of the volcano. The climb back up was far more controlled than
his original descent.

Why it’s on the list

This story is a classic cautionary tale for mountaineers: just because snow looks solid doesn’t mean
it is. On volcanoes like St. Helens, the “ground” can be nothing more than a fragile overhang hovering
above a very deep, very steep void.

6. The Mountaineer Who Survived 1,200 FeetBut Not the Climb Out

What happened

One of the most heartbreaking volcano accidents in recent years also happened on Mount St. Helens.
Experienced mountaineer Roscoe Shorey was near the summit when a giant cornice collapsed beneath
him. He tried to claw his way back to safety but couldn’t stop himself from sliding over the edge.

He plunged an estimated 1,200 feet into the crater, carried by a mass of snow and debris. Astonishingly,
he survived the fall. Alone, with his gear left up on the rim, he attempted multiple times to climb
back out of the crater walls. Rescuers later found evidence of his efforts and tracked his path. By
the time they reached him, he had died of his injuries and exposure.

Why it’s on the list

Shorey’s story is a brutal mix of courage and bad luck. It’s also a serious lesson for climbers:
stay far back from cornices, keep emergency communication gear on your bodynot in your packand
respect how unforgiving volcanic terrain becomes once you’re trapped inside the crater.

7. The Family Who Vanished Into an Italian Volcanic Crater

What happened

Not all volcano accidents happen on dramatic mountaintops. At Solfatara di Pozzuoli, a shallow
volcanic crater near Naples, Italy, an 11-year-old boy wandered into a restricted area in 2017.
He reportedly fainted from the toxic gases, slipped, and fell into a pit of hot, unstable ground.

His parents rushed in to save him and fell in as well when the ground collapsed beneath them. The
three family members died in the boiling mud and fumes before rescuers could reach them. Their
younger child, who had walked away to seek help, survived.

Why it’s on the list

This case underscores that “volcano” doesn’t always mean towering lava fountain. Even small,
seemingly tame geothermal craters can be lethal. Thin crusts, toxic gases, and boiling mud don’t
care whether you’re a tourist, a parent, or just trying to get a better view.

8. The 8-Year-Old Who Fell Into a 328-Foot Volcanic Sinkhole

What happened

In 2023, an 8-year-old French boy visiting the Galápagos Islands with his family fell into a volcanic
sinkhole at Los Gemelos (“The Twins”) on Santa Cruz Island. These giant craters aren’t erupting, but
they’re still the legacy of ancient volcanic activityessentially massive voids where underground lava
tubes collapsed.

The boy fell roughly 328 feet to the bottom of one of the craters. Park officials and trained rescuers
carried out a difficult rescue and managed to pull him out alive. He suffered head and facial injuries
and was later transferred for further treatment, but doctors described his survival as “miraculous.”

Why it’s on the list

This case shows that even “dormant” volcanic features can be incredibly dangerous. Volcanic craters and
sinkholes may look like scenic photo spots, but a fall into one is every bit as deadly as tumbling into
an active caldera full of fresh lava.

9. The Tourist Posing for the Perfect Volcano Photo

What happened

At Indonesia’s Kawah Ijen, a volcanic crater famous for its turquoise acid lake and eerie blue sulfur
flames, a woman reportedly slipped and fell hundreds of feet into the crater while posing for a photo.
Her husband was taking pictures when she stumbled, lost her footing, and disappeared down the steep
inner slope.

Rescue efforts at Ijen are notoriously challenging: the crater walls are steep and crumbly, the air is
thick with sulfur fumes, and visibility can drop fast. Reports have differed on the exact circumstances
and outcome, but the core story remains the sameone misstep at the edge turned a vacation snapshot
into a tragedy.

Why it’s on the list

This is the nightmare version of “do it for the ’gram.” It highlights how social media culture can push
people to ignore basic self-preservation around cliffs, toxic gases, and unstable ground. On a volcano,
the edge is never just an edge; it’s a trapdoor.

10. The Brazilian Traveler Who Fell on Mount Rinjani

What happened

In June 2025, Brazilian tourist Juliana Marins was hiking Indonesia’s Mount Rinjani, a huge volcano with
a lake-filled caldera that attracts trekkers from around the world. During what was supposed to be a
routine guided hike, she slipped and fell roughly 300 meters down a steep volcanic ravine near the crater.

Drone footage initially showed signs that she was still alive, but extreme terrain, fog, and unstable
volcanic slopes made rescue attempts extremely difficult and dangerous. After several days of searching,
rescuers found her body. Her family later criticized the response and called for better safety measures
on popular volcano treks.

Why it’s on the list

Marins’s story is a sobering example of how quickly things can go wrong, even with a guide, a group, and
a well-known trekking route. It also sparked wider conversations about safety standards, guide training,
and rescue capabilities on heavily visited volcanoes.

What These Volcano Falls Have in Common

Different countries, different ages, different volcanoesbut the same patterns keep repeating:

• Ignoring barriers and warning signs. Many of these people crossed railings or entered closed areas to get closer to the view.
• Underestimating volcanic terrain. Cornices, thin crusts, and loose ash look solid until they suddenly aren’t.
• Chasing photos instead of safety. Several incidents began with someone trying to pose for or capture the “perfect shot.”
• Lack of preparation. In the mountaineering cases, crucial gear and communication devices were left in packs at the rim.

Volcanoes don’t have to erupt to be dangerous. The crater itselfthe cliffs, gases, and unstable surfaces
is already more than enough to turn a sightseeing trip into a life-or-death emergency.

of Hard-Earned Lessons From the Edge

You don’t need to fall into a volcano to learn from the people who did. Their stories, as grim as some of
them are, offer practical lessons for anyone dreaming of watching lava glow in the dark or peering into a
caldera on vacation.

First, respect the boring stuff: railings, ropes, and “Area Closed” signs. It’s easy to assume parks and
guides are being overly cautious, but those barriers exist because someone, at some point, already tested
that line the hard way. At Kīlauea, multiple falls have involved people stepping beyond railings for a
better look or a photo, only to discover that the seemingly solid rock or soil beneath them was actually
a crumbly overhang. The people who put those signs up have read more incident reports than any of us ever
want to see.

Second, understand that volcanic ground is deceptive by design. On mountains like Mount St. Helens, snow
cornices can extend many feet beyond the true edge of the crater, supported only by air and wishful thinking.
Standing “near the edge” may actually mean standing on a hollow shelf that collapses if your weight hits
the wrong spot. On geothermal craters like Solfatara, the surface can be just a thin crust over boiling
mud and gas vents. You can be walking on what looks like ordinary ground and, with one unlucky step, fall
through into scalding, toxic chaos.

Third, remember that rescue on a volcano is slow, complex, and risky. Rope teams, helicopters, and specialized
crews are not sitting at the trailhead like Uber drivers waiting for your call. In the Mount St. Helens cases,
rescuers had to weigh their own safety against the chance of reaching someone in time. On Rinjani, rescuers
battled fog, loose rock, and extreme exposure just to search a single ravine. Even in Hawaiʻi, where the
park’s teams are highly trained, high-angle rescues in the dark carry real danger for everyone involved.

Fourth, if you’re going beyond a simple overlookespecially on a summit climbtreat volcano trips like serious
backcountry endeavors. That means:

• Carrying proper gear for cold, wind, and sudden weather changes.
• Keeping satellite messengers, radios, or phones on your body, not buried in a pack you might drop or remove.
• Traveling with partners who know the route, understand volcanic hazards, and are willing to turn around when things feel off.
• Checking current activity alerts from geological agencies or park services before you go.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, resist the pressure to “earn” a more extreme story or better social media content.
Nobody remembers the people who stayed behind the rail and went back to the hotel safelybecause that’s the whole point.
You’re supposed to be forgettably fine. The people we’re talking about here didn’t intend to become cautionary tales;
they just misjudged one moment, one step, one decision.

Volcano tourism can be incredible: watching a lava lake churn, feeling the heat, smelling sulfur on the wind,
seeing entire landscapes sculpted by eruptions. You canand shouldexperience that wonder. Just let these ten
stories be the line you refuse to cross. Take the photo, enjoy the view, geek out over geology… but do it from
a distance your future self will be very grateful for.

Conclusion

The phrase “fell into a volcano” sounds like something from a cartoon, but for the people on this list, it was
painfully real. Some walked away, some didn’t, and all of them remind us that volcanoes are not theme-park props.
They’re living, shifting systems where the ground itself can suddenly vanish under your feet.

If there’s one takeaway from these ten stories, it’s this: when a volcano says “don’t get closer,” believe it.
The best volcano trip is the one where you leave with great photos, an intact sense of awe, and absolutely no
first-hand experience of what the inside of the crater looks like.