Man Taken to Hospital After Falling into Volcano

It took about an hour for emergency personnel to rescue a man who crossed a barrier and fell into an active volcano.

The tourist was airlifted to hospital.

He crossed a safety barrier on a cliff to the Kilauea Volcano and fell about 21 metres.

The incident happened on Wednesday on Hawaii's Big Island.

Kīlauea is an active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands and the most active of the five volcanoes that together form the island of Hawaii.

In 2008, a Lava Viewing Area was opened by the county for tourists in Kalapana, on the southeastern side of the National Park, accessible only from State Route 130.