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.

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.

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.