(TNND) — A 48-year-old father from Nagoya, Japan, was reprimanded by police after leaving his 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji while continuing a climb toward the summit with his older child.
The father was climbing Mount Fuji’s Fujinomiya Trail on Aug. 20 with his two sons, ages 7 and about 12 or 13. The younger boy became tired around the sixth station, roughly 2,500 meters (8,000 feet) above sea level. The father told the child to “wait here” and continued climbing with the older son.
The climb from the sixth station to the summit and back takes about 7.5 hours, meaning the father apparently expected the 7-year-old to remain there alone for hours. Based on standard hiking times, reports estimated the father may have left the boy around 4:30 a.m.
A mountain hut worker found the 7-year-old sitting alone on a bench around 7:40 a.m., brought him inside and contacted police. By the time police reached the father, he had already climbed near the eighth station. Police ordered him to return for his son.
Rain was falling and fog was developing when the child was found, raising concerns because conditions on Mount Fuji can change quickly. The boy was unharmed and safely reunited with his father.
Police reprimanded the father, telling him that leaving a child behind was unacceptable even if it meant abandoning the climb. The father reportedly told police, “I made a rash decision, and I deeply regret it.”
Police also urged hiking groups to stay together and plan their pace around the person with the least stamina. Authorities had not indicated whether the father would face formal charges or penalties.
AloJapan.com