Man who climbed volcano safety rail and fell in will live

A soldier who fell into a Hawaiian volcano will live to tell the tale.

On Thursday (local time) the 32-year-old climbed a guard rail on Kilauea, one of Hawaii's most active volcanoes, BBC News reports.

The real trouble began however when the ground beneath him crumbled, and he fell 21 metres before landing on a ledge.

"Rescue personnel successfully completed a high angle extrication using ropes and stokes litter and, with support from a Department of Defense helicopter, the man was airlifted to Hilo Medical Center for urgent care," park officials said in a statement.

He was initially listed as critical, but soon upgraded to stable.

Last year when Kilauea erupted, ash was thrown 9km into the sky and around 700 homes were destroyed.

Newshub.