Man falls into Hawaii volcano crater after climbing safety railing

A visitor fell into a volcano crater in Hawaii after climbing over a metal railing.

The US National Park Service said the man, who was visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, climbed past the railing, lost his footing and fell into the Kilauea volcano caldera- the crater formed by previous volcanic activity.

"He had crossed over a metal railing to get closer to the cliff edge where he lost his footing and fell in," spokesman Ben Hayes said.

"Park officials immediately launched a search and rescue operation with the Hawaii County Fire Department and around 9pm local time search and rescue located the man. He was seriously injured, perched on a narrow ledge 70 feet (21m) from the cliff edge."

Hayes stressed, "visitors should never cross safety barriers, especially near the caldera's ridge. It's still a very dynamic area following last year's activity."

Officials began a rescue operation, including the use of a rope system to extract the man from the ledge. He was rescued in about an hour, Hayes said.

The man was transported to an open area of the park and airlifted to Hilo Medical Center, where he was treated for his injuries. The man's age and location have not been released.

When asked if the visitor could face any charges or consequences for crossing the barrier, Hayes said, "rangers will complete an investigation and make that determination after the investigation is over."