A 75-year-old man's body was found after he apparently fell 100 feet into the crater of the Kilauea volcano, the most active of five volcanos on Hawaii's Big Island, according to authorities.
The unidentified Hilo, HI resident was reported missing on Monday by his family after he disappeared at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park late on Sunday.
Rangers and Hawaii County firefighters found his body 100 feet below the crater rim of a viewing area.
"After searching for the man in the darkness, National Park Service rangers and Hawaiʻi County firefighters located the man's body about 100 feet below the crater rim, west of the Uēkahuna viewing area at the summit of Kīlauea volcano. Park rangers, assisted by helicopter, recovered the body around 8 am," the National Park Service said in a statement.
The National Park Service is conducting an investigation into the incident, and the man will be identified after the family is notified.
The volcano recently began erupting again on Sept. 29, 2021, according to the United States Geological Survey service. The USGS said Kilauea is "exhibiting heightened or escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption."
The area remains opens to visitors, but officials are highly recommending hikers to stay on the marked trails.
"Visitors should never cross safety barriers, especially around dangerous and destabilized cliff edges," Chief Ranger John Broward said in 2017. "Crossing safety barriers and entering closed areas can result in serious injuries and death."
This is not the first time someone has fallen into the crater, as a 32-year-old man fell 70 feet into the crater of Kilauea after stepping over the railing in 2019. A 38-year-old man died in 2017 after an apparent suicide, as his body was found 250 feet below the Crater Rim Trail on the caldera floor.
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