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, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, erupted early Monday on Hawaii’s Big Island, sending out glittering torrents of lava. The U.S. Geological Survey said its Hawaiian Volcano Observatory spotted signs of an eruption in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park around 2:30 a.

Molten rock began shooting from the volcano before dawn on Monday when fissures opened in the caldera floor and propelled lava 295 feet (90 meters) into the air. The red liquid formed tall fountains and then spread across 650 acres (263 hectares). The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory estimated the lava was about 1 yard (1 meter) thick.