[Sportschosun reporter Jang Jong-ho] A father in his 40s who was climbing Mount Fuji, which stands 3,776 meters above sea level, drew a stern warning from police after he continued the hike and left his 7-year-old son behind at around 2,500 meters when the boy said he was tired.
According to Japanese media outlet TV Asahi, a lodge employee on the Fujinomiya Trail on the morning of the 20th, around 7:30 a.m., found a 7-year-old boy sitting alone on a nearby bench and reported it to police. The spot is about 2,500 meters above sea level, still a considerable distance from Mount Fuji's summit.
Police found that the boy had been climbing Mount Fuji with his father and his middle-school-aged older brother. During the hike, the boy said he was tired, and the father told him to wait there before continuing toward the summit with the older brother.
A lodge official told police that the boy said his father had told him to "wait here for 8 hours." At the time, the boy reportedly had only snacks and drinks with him and no money at all.
Police identified the father's location based on his appearance and other details. He returned to the spot about five hours after the child was found.
Police handed the boy back to his father and strongly cautioned him, saying that leaving a young child alone on a mountain could violate the law.
Local reports said police issued a stern warning, saying that "a mountain lodge is not a daycare center," and the father was said to have reflected on his actions.
Reporter Jang Jong-ho, bellho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
