8-Year-Old French Boy Miraculously Survived After Falling Into a 328-Foot-Deep Volcanic Sinkhole Crater in Ecuador

In many parts of the world, attractive ground formations resulting from volcanic activities have drawn visitors looking for crater viewing, hiking, and climbing. Despite the safety precautions and warnings given by authorities, there are still instances when accidents happen during such activities.

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A Frightful Experience During a Volcano Tour

A horrific event occurred in the Galápagos National Park on July 7 when an 8-year-old French boy fell into a volcanic sinkhole crater measuring 328 feet deep. The boy was accompanied by his family, who was visiting Los Gemelos, a twin crater on Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos archipelago in Ecuador.

Fortunately, rescuers trained for such emergencies quickly acted on the scene, pulling the boy out of the bottom of the crater. Authorities are not yet releasing further details of the fall.

As a result of the accident, the boy received multiple injuries on his face and head. He was quickly taken to the Republic of Ecuador Hospital in Santa Cruz for a medical examination. The boy is stable and will be moved to a hospital in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil.

This is not the first time a tourist has slipped into a volcanic crater. In 2017, an 11-year-old boy and his parents died after falling into boiling mud inside the volcanic crater of Solfatara in the Italian city of Pozzuoli. In another incident, a 23-year-old American tourist was visiting the crater of the legendary Mount Vesuvius in 2022 when he fell while taking a selfie.

How are Volcanic Craters Formed?

The surface of the Earth is rich with hollowed-out areas or craters produced by meteorites, volcanic eruptions, or an explosion. A volcanic crater is a bowl-shaped depression above the vent where volcanic materials such as ash, lava, and rocks are released. They are commonly seen at the summit of volcanic structures, although they can also appear above flank vents of composite and shield volcanoes when side vents reach the ground's surface and erupt.

Some volcanic craters continue to exist even after the eruptions have long ceased. They may also be filled up with water and form a crater lake. Meanwhile, domes do not form craters since they were created from effusive eruptions.

While volcanic craters are shaped by explosive eruptions, other volcanic depressions are classified as collapse features instead of craters. Like craters, collapse features are also declivities but were formed differently.

One example of a collapse feature is a pit crater, a steep-sided depression that results from subsidence or collapse. Progressive collapse over a space forms a pit crater from the bottom up. Another collapse feature is the caldera resulting from the downfall above a magma chamber excavated during an eruption. A caldera may form above the summit of shied and composite volcanos and can measure up to 1 kilometer in diameter.