A Hawaiian tour boat navigating around a coastal lava flow from Mount Kilauea this week was struck by a large chunk of exploding lava, often called a “lava bomb.” Twenty-three passengers were injured, four of them seriously.
Captured on a smartphone by a passenger, the following video shows lava exploding as it hits the cold ocean water. Within a few seconds, the sounds of awe turn into screams of panic as a basketball-size chunk of lava comes crashing through the metal roof of the tour boat.
The Coast Guard is investigating whether the tour boat, appropriately named Hot Spot, was in a restricted zone when the lava struck the boat.
