Child Rushed To Hospital After Fall In Lava Beds National Monument

A five-year-old Klamath Falls boy fell approximately 20 feet while exploring a lava tube cave with his family on Friday, March 27th. Park rangers were the first on the scene. Emergency crews were contacted and the child was flown via helicopter to Sky Lakes Medical Center in Klamath Falls and transferred to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, where he is now recovering. Park staff are investigating the circumstances of the incident. Of the approximately 135,000 visitors that visit Lava Beds each year, about 25,000 visit Skull Cave. It is a popular cave due to its large entrance and ice floor. There are no records of a similar incident occurring in Skull Cave.