Lava flow visitors get too close, narrowly escape collapse in sea

Five visitors to the lava flow at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park ducked under a rope closing off a dangerous section Saturday and were turned around by a ranger 15 minutes before the section collapsed into the ocean, park officials said.

“It was a really close brush with death for them,” Eruption Crew Ranger Travis Delimont said. “Luckily, they finally listened to us and turned around in time.”

“Delimont and a co-worker had to chase after them (the five visitors) before they turned around. Within 15 minutes, the section of cliff where the visitors were standing crashed into the ocean,” the park officials said in a news release.

“The large section of the 26-acre lava delta formed by the 61g lava flow collapsed into the ocean around 2:45 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, launching showers of volcanic rock into the air, and creating a flurry of large waves that eroded away a portion of the older sea cliff and viewing area,” the park officials said. The former viewing area is gone, rangers said.

Entry to the lava flow area was closed Sunday. “The lava viewing area will remain closed until it is determined safe to reopen,” the release said.

First Day Hike at Makapuu draws hundreds

As many as 800 hikers made their way up the Makapuu Lookout on Oahu’s eastern coast to watch the first sunrise of 2017 at 7:09 a.m. Sunday, the state Parks Division said in a news release.

The hike, called Hawaii’s First Day Hike, was organized by the state Parks Division and was one of a series of New Year’s Day hikes at state parks around the nation. It was the sixth year that Hawaii has held a First Day Hike.

“This is always a very memorable start to a new year and we know some folks have made the First Day Hike, each of the past six years. That tells us, that with each passing year, this has become a tradition and the way many people have chosen to mark New Year’s Day,” said Curt Cottrell, state Parks Division administrator.