A toddler wandered nearly a foot toward death at a volcano park in Hawaii when his mother caught hold of him in time to save his life, according to the National Park Service.

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.

What had been low-level lava flows since Thursday morning became more vigorous fountaining Friday evening, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaii Volcano Observatory.