7-Year-Old Boy Left Alone on Mount Fuji by His Father
A 7-year-old boy was left alone on Mount Fuji after his father decided to continue climbing with his older brother.
The boy, his 48-year-old father, and his older brother, who is 12 or 13 years old, started climbing the Fujinomiya Trail early Thursday morning. When they reached around the sixth station, the younger boy became tired and complained that he did not want to continue.
Instead of taking a break or turning back, the father told his 7-year-old son to “wait here.” He then continued toward the summit with his older son.
The sixth station is still far from the top of Mount Fuji. According to the official Mount Fuji climbing website, it takes more than five hours to reach the summit from there and about two and a half hours to return. So the father was effectively expecting his young son to stay alone for many hours.
Fortunately, the boy did not remain alone for that long.
At about 7:40 a.m., a worker at a mountain hut near the sixth station noticed the boy sitting alone on a bench. The worker brought him inside the hut to keep him safe and contacted the police.
When the police arrived, they identified the boy and contacted his father. At that time, the father and the older brother were near the eighth station. Police told the father to return and pick up his younger son.
It is unclear exactly when the father left the boy. However, the hike from the sixth station to the eighth station takes around three hours, so he may have left his son at about 4:30 a.m.
The boy was not injured and was eventually reunited safely with his father.
However, the weather on Mount Fuji can change very quickly. When the mountain hut worker found the boy, it was raining and fog was beginning to appear. Such conditions can make it difficult to see the trail and can make climbing dangerous.
Police told the father that leaving a child behind was unacceptable, even if it meant giving up the climb.
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The father reportedly admitted his mistake, saying that he had made a rash decision and deeply regretted it.
Police are now reminding climbers that they should consider the abilities and stamina of everyone in their group. If one person is struggling, the entire group should adjust its plans rather than leaving that person behind.
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In simple words: The father made a very dangerous decision by leaving his 7-year-old son alone on the mountain. Luckily, a mountain hut worker found the child and kept him safe before anything bad happened.