Father reprimanded for leaving 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji

Police in Japan have reprimanded a 48-year-old father for abandoning his 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji for several hours. The child was discovered sitting by himself in foggy and rainy conditions at an altitude exceeding 2,000 meters, with only a soft drink and snacks.

According to BBC reports, the father told his son to wait for him as he continued the hike with his older son, reportedly complaining of fatigue. Mountain lodge staff found the boy and alerted the authorities. The father was eventually located approximately a three-hour walk away from his son's location.

Upon returning to his son, who was described as tired and irritable after an eight-hour wait, police officers severely reprimanded the father. The father reportedly apologized for his "hasty" decision. The family was hiking the Fujinomiya trail, a route that typically takes about five hours to ascend and three hours to descend.

Mount Fuji, Japan's highest peak at 3,776 meters, has been the site of numerous accidents in recent years. In July, a 99-year-old woman was rescued after falling and sustaining injuries while attempting the climb. Last year, a 27-year-old university student was rescued after ascending the mountain outside of the official hiking season.

Mount Fuji is an active volcano located southwest of Tokyo and is considered one of Japan's three holy mountains. Approximately 200,000 people climb the mountain annually.