Dad slammed by police after ditching ‘tired’ son, 7, midway on Mount Fuji hike to finish climbing to summit without him

NewsWorld News A DAD has been slated for ditching his seven-year-old son half way up Mount Fuji so he could reach the summit. The father, 48, abandoned his young boy 8,000ft up Japan‘s tallest peak, shockingly telling him to “wait here” before leaving him totally alone. The child was left completely alone on the mountainside Credit: AFP Mount Fuji is Japan’s highest mountain at 12,388 feet Credit: AFP On Thursday, the father was hiking the Fujinomiya Trail with his two sons, aged seven and 12 or 13, when the younger boy grew tired and was left behind. The climb from the sixth checkpoint – where he was left – to the summit takes more than five hours, with another two and a half hours or so required to return, according to the Mount Fuji website. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! This means the young child was expected to wait at least seven and a half hours for his dad to return. Thankfully this was avoided as mountain worker spotted the unaccompanied child waiting on a bench around 7.30am and alerted the police. As rain was falling and fog was beginning to come in, the worker brought the boy inside a nearby hut while waiting for authorities. The cops told Japan Today: “Even if it means having to give up on climbing the mountain together, leaving a child behind is unacceptable.” By the time officers were finally able to get in touch with the father he had climbed to the eighth checkpoint – around three hours further up the trail to where he left his son. Enraged police ordered him to turn around and retrieve his son. Most read in The Sun The child was unharmed and was safely reunited with his dad. It’s not clear exactly how long the boy was left unattended for. Police have not indicated whether the father will face any charges, who admits he made a “rash decision” that he “deeply regrets”. Following the incident, the police are calling on hikers to be conscious of the dangers of leaving a member of their party behind. They say hikers should pace their group according to the person with the least stamina. The incident sparked criticism on Japanese social media with users condemning the father’s lack of safety awareness and general irresponsibility. Mount Fuji rises more than 12,000ft above sea level and is Japan’s tallest mountain. The Fujinomiya Trail is one of the main routes used by climbers attempting to reach the summit. Weather can change rapidly and unpredictably on the mountain, causing sudden drops in visibility, poor footing, and hazardous conditions. Comment now