Italy's Stromboli volcano erupts spewing smoke, ash as boater flees from cloud

A teenager from Palermo, Elena Schiera, 19, was on a sailboat near Stromboli off the coast of Sicily when the explosion occurred and captured video of the massive ash cloud as it rushed toward the vessel.

Schiera explained in an interview with CNN that she was at a safe distance when the active volcano suddenly erupted with a loud bang.

"We immediately increased the speed of the boat to the maximum, even though, being a sailboat, the speed was still limited. Then the cloud arrived at sea and began to advance quickly towards us," she said.

"At that moment, the panic broke out because we had the cloud a few meters away from our stern, but thanks to my father, who was at the helm, we managed to get away just in time because then the cloud started to rise again."

The eruption occurred almost two months after a similar event in early July that killed a 35-year-old hiker, according to The Guardian.

Stromboli is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

It was already been closed to tourists because of recent increased volcanic activity, including smaller explosions earlier this week, The Guardian reported.