A toddler could have plummeted to his death on Christmas Day at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano if not for his mother's quick reaction, officials said. The National Park Service said in a statement that the toddler wandered off from his family at the Kilauea Overlook and snuck past the barrier blocking onlookers from the volcano before running toward the 400-foot cliff edge.

Kilauea began erupting around 2:30 a.m. Monday morning local time at the base of the Halemaumau Crater within the summit caldera after elevated seismic activity was detected overnight.

Those who ignore the warnings, walk past closure signs, lose track of loved ones, and sneak into closed areas to get a closer look do so at great risk,” officials said.