- A father left his seven-year-old son behind for hours on Japan’s Mount Fuji while continuing his climb, resulting in a stern warning from the authorities, police and local media reported.
- The boy was found alone on a hiking route on Aug 20 and taken into police custody, a local police officer in the Shizuoka region told AFP on Aug 22.
- The child told his father he was tired at the sixth station of the mountain, which is located at an altitude of more than 2,000 metres, local SBS TV reported.
- As his older brother had gone on ahead, the seven-year-old’s father told him to ‘wait here’ and carried on hiking with his other son, according to SBS.
- The boy was left to wait for eight hours with only snacks and a soft drink and no money, citing staff at a mountain hut who alerted police to his presence.
- Officers contacted the father, who was at the eighth station, and handed the boy over to him when he returned.
- The police officer told AFP that officers gave the man a telling-off for leaving the child behind.
- The father reportedly apologised to the police, admitting the act was careless.
A father left his seven-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji for eight hours while he continued climbing with another son, leading to police intervention. The incident occurred on August 20, when the boy expressed fatigue at the sixth station, over 2,000 metres high.15
The father instructed the child to “wait here” as he ascended with his older son. During this time, the boy was left with only snacks and a soft drink, lacking any money, according to staff at a nearby mountain hut who alerted authorities.
When police found the boy, they took him into custody until his father returned from the eighth station. Officers reprimanded the father for his actions, which he acknowledged as careless. He later apologized to the police for the incident.6
This case highlights the risks associated with hiking in remote areas, especially when children are involved, and serves as a reminder for parents to prioritize safety over personal pursuits.
“The boy was left at the sixth station, over 2,000 meters up, with only snacks and a soft drink and no money. Mountain hut staff alerted police, who found the boy alone and later handed him back to his father at the eighth station.”
Malay Mail
