Man falls into volcanic crack

Herald Sun ^ | 08/29/03 | Staff Writer

[bedolido]

THE charred body of a 22-year-old man who died while trying to get a photo of an erupting volcano on France's Indian Ocean island of Reunion was recovered today after a difficult high-altitude operation, police said.

Alexandre Thiault, a student from the island's capital of Saint-Denis, was killed late yesterday after the cooled lava he was standing on crumbled away and he fell into a crack on the side of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano. Firemen who extracted his body today said the Frenchman probably died of asphyxiation from the poisonous gases inside. His body was burnt beyond recognition within minutes by the 260-degree-Celsius temperature in the fissure.

Authorities closed access to the volcano following the accident.

[wita]

Surely this is one of those "hold ma beer" things.

[mhking]

Jacques Crispeau?

Is the grill ready yet?

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[skeeter]

You would think they wouldn't have to close off the Volcano wouldn't you? Anyone who goes to take a peek down an erupting volcano is a couple of tacos short of a platter. When I was in Hawaii we flew over that erupting one and people were all hiking around on the lava,,sometimes you wonder.

I was one of those short-a-taco hikers last week. Its hot out there.

Though the Hawaii volcanos are a bit safer than most others, I must admit I was a bit worried about what was beneath the lava crust I was hiking on.

[Porterville]

"the Frenchman probably died of asphyxiation from the poisonous gases inside"

Probably sniffing his french arm pit.

[EggsAckley]

I actually think I SAW this woman at Ross the other day. Fortunately she was fully clothed.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

We were on a Mexicana flight from Mexico City to Ixtapa years ago that left the gate about a half hour late.
To make amends, the pilot announced he would fly the plane, a 727, close to the smoking volcano near the capitol city.
He tipped the plane and buzzed the volcano twice so the passengers on each side could get a close up look. The smell of sulfur was with us for the rest of the 45 minute flight.

[xJones]

I was hoping you'd put this on your, "Hold my _______ and watch this!" list. :)

[boris]

"I think I've had my sun for today."

[MrLeRoy]

Man falls into volcanic crack

Had she been eating chili?

[ko_kyi]

Enough Madonna stories already!

oops, never mind.

[atomic conspiracy]

Eegad!

I happen to know a little about volcanoes (see profile), and have managed to get up close and personal with them without being cooked alive or even seriously singed. There is no mystique or heroism to this, it is simply a matter of knowing what you are doing and taking the necessary precautions. In general, these resemble the common-sense precautions for entering any hazardous environment: familiarize yourself with potential hazards, don't go alone or with inept companions, and have the necessary equipment. In this case, that would have been heat-resistant clothing, good (heat-resistant) ropes and harness equipment, and breathing apparatus of some kind. Keeping your head out of an active fissure, or your own anatomical fissures, would also be a good idea.

[null and void]

it is simply a matter of knowing what you are doing and taking the necessary precautions.

Caution: Items in view finder are closer than they appear...

[CHICAGOFARMER]

DAM

Darwin at work again. Amen

[dogbrain]

the volcano didn't spit him out?

musta been a virgin.

[Willie Green]

I was hoping you'd put this on your, "Hold my _______ and watch this!" list. :)

[Pagey]

I know what it's like to burn yourself when your working a full bar-b-que, but falling into "260 Degree Celsius" Fresh LAVA must've been one heck of a burn. It isn't like you'd sink right away either, being that LAVA surely is thicker than pool water.What a bad (and really odd) way to go.

[xJones]

Firemen who extracted his body today said the Frenchman probably died of asphyxiation from the poisonous gases inside.

Willie, one really good Mexican dinner and this could have been any of us. :)

[b4its2late]

Let it be noted that, after seeing their buddy as a crispy critter, the rest of the frenchmen surrendered to the volcano.....