7-year-old boy found alone on Mount Fuji after father abandoned him to continue hike, reports say

Incident on Mount Fuji

A 7-year-old boy was left alone on Japan's Mount Fuji by his father and older brother, who continued their hike toward the summit, according to multiple reports. The boy was found unharmed at about 7:40 a.m. local time on Aug. 20 by a worker at a mountain hut on the Fujinomiya Trail, as reported by CNN affiliate TV Asahi and Japanese outlet FNN, which cited local police. The worker alerted police, telling them he had found the boy sitting by himself on a bench at the sixth station of the trail.

The boy had set out earlier that morning with his 48-year-old father and older brother, intending to reach the peak, according to Japan Today as cited by Gray News. Around the sixth station, the boy began to complain that he was tired. The father reportedly told his son to "wait here" and then continued the climb with the boy's brother, according to the same sources.

The sixth station of the Fujinomiya Trail sits about 8,202 feet above sea level. According to reports, the boy was left there at about 4:30 a.m. Based on hiking times from Mount Fuji's official climbing page, it would take about 5 1/2 hours to reach the summit from the sixth station and another 2 1/2 hours to descend, meaning the boy could have been left alone for over 7 hours if the worker had not found him. Weather conditions at the time included developing rain and fog, as reported by ABC 45.

Police Intervention

Police were contacted and were able to identify the father, who was near the trail's eighth station. According to FNN, authorities issued the man a warning and ordered him to return for his son. The father told Japan Today that he "made a rash decision" and expressed regret.

In a separate account, TV Asahi reported that the police, after receiving the report from the mountain hut worker, identified the father and found him near the trail's eighth station. The officers warned the man he could be held criminally liable, and he expressed remorse. When the father returned to the sixth station, police were waiting with the boy, who was unharmed and was handed back to his father.

Warnings and Context

Police cautioned visitors not to leave members of their party behind when hiking Mount Fuji, a reminder of the mountain's inherent dangers. CNN noted that climbers of the 12,388-foot volcano have in the past needed rescue after suffering altitude sickness, and the mountain's weather conditions can be unpredictable.

In response to such challenges, authorities have introduced new rules in recent years, including a cap on the maximum number of climbers permitted each day and required that they take a brief class on hiking safety.

The incident, reported in the commuter news cycle, underscores the risks of summiting Mount Fuji and the importance of sticking together in a climbing party. The boy was fortunate that a worker at the hut noticed him early in the morning, before any significant weather deterioration occurred. The father's act, described as 'rash' by him, triggered the response and the cautionary tale from police.