German tourist wrestles park ranger to ground after trying to hike erupting Indonesia volcano

A German tourist wrestled a park ranger to the ground - after he was caught trying to hike up an erupting volcano in Indonesia.

The holidaymaker and his female Russian friend dodged barriers and slipped onto the trail at Mount Bromo in East Java, Indonesia, on March 22.

Despite steam pouring from the crater and the volcano rumbling, the German - equipped only with sunglasses and a backpack - tried to hike up the black surface of dried lava.

Concerned park officials said they saw the two and went over to stop them but the man became insistent.

Footage filmed by a park ranger shows the German wrestling the Indonesian official to the ground before trying to walk away. He was later detained by staff.

Syarif Hidayat, the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park officer, said: "They tried to use a trail, they left their car behind the temple and went through a toilet.

‘’We had to stop them for their own safety but the man became aggressive.’’

The pair allegedly dodged barriers and accessed the closed trail through a gap behind the toilet behind the temple where they parked.

Mount Bromo's crater area, within a radius of 1km, is prohibited for visitors because of its volcanic activities.

Syarif said that the tourists later apologized for violating the rules at Mount Bromo and they were released later that day.

‘’We regret the incident, and hope that similar incidents will not happen again,’’ he added.