Brave hiker films pyroclastic flow........as it is heading towards him!

a reply to: intrptr

My family looked into buying a vacation home in Hawaii at one point and one of the funniest things was the realtor explaining where the "safe flow zones" were. We passed.

They were lucky this didnt kill them, I work with a man, and his Uncle got caught in a Pyroplastic flow in Costa Rica. There was nothing left of him, he'd been totally incinerated. The heat involved with these pyroplastic flows are so intense, 1000's of degrees hot, move extremely fast, and is usually what kills people, not lava flows.

a reply to: Glassbender777

originally posted by: Odyssian
Very nice footage! But that's not a pyroclastic flow, it's an ash cloud. If it was pyro they would be carbonized instantly.

^^^

a reply to: howmuch4another

Actually, if you can afford it, Hawaii is a good place to live. Maybe not the big island, the pyroclastic flow of tourists is a killer there.

Volcano Islands make up the chain, but the eruptions there tend to be of a more predictable, less explosive variety.

Avoiding the flow channels of course.

I concur that this was simply a cloud of ash. Had the heat been anywhere near that of a pyroclastic flow they could not have survived being caught by the gases. And the heat of the approaching flow probably would have made them move with a bit more intensity. Are these the stranded climbers referenced in the other video? If so, then they may have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, although there is no excuse for sticking around such a location. You should move as soon as you realize something is up. They could not know whether the cloud advancing on them was enough to kill them, and like someone said, even an ash cloud can kill you, usually because it cuts off your oxygen supply and can actually enter your lungs. If the heat is intense enough, such as in a pyroclastic flow, if you survive long enough for that to happen it would have to be an extremely frightening and likely painful way to go. The only possible good thing being it would not last very long, and is somewhat more "merciful." If someone is going to die and there is no way around it, it is better for them not to suffer.

originally posted by: PhoenixOD
I would hardly call him brave just because he happened to be in a place that got caught by a pyroclastic flow. Its not like he made the decision to go out and get caught up in it.

I thought it was brave to film it while it was heading towards him, instead of just running. What was going through his head? "there is no way I'm going to outrun this thing, I might as well document it"? who knows. They obviously didn't plan to be there when it happened. I have heard rumors since then dozens were killed in this, trying to check the veracity of those......

yeah it pointless trying to outrun something traveling hundreds of miles an hr

a reply to: PlanetXisHERE

a reply to: PlanetXisHERE

" A pyroclastic flow (also known scientifically as a pyroclastic density current) is a fast-moving current of hot gas and rock (collectively known as tephra), which reaches speeds moving away from a volcano of up to 700 km/h (450 mph). The gas can reach temperatures of about 1,000 °C (1,830 °F)." from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyroclastic_flow

Not somewhere I'd want to be... Just saying. 1,000 celsius is no joke.

a reply to: Aliensun

I recall seeing that but cannot remember where or who showed us such, can still see the big dark cloud that seemed to swallow him and he kept panting and trying to speak.

The latest death toll of hikers who got caught in this is about 36. Very tragic.

Someone mentioned the person filming this took refuge in the basement of the mountain shelter and survived.