Man leaves tired 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji during family hike

A man who left his tired 7-year-old son to wait alone on Japan’s Mount Fuji while he continued a family hike has been reprimanded by police.

The boy was spotted sitting on his own at a hut about 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) above sea level—slightly more than halfway up the country’s tallest mountain—by a worker, according to Japanese media reports. The case was subsequently reported to the authorities.

Police said the boy had gone hiking with his father and older brother and was told to wait when he became tired and reluctant to continue walking. He was instructed to wait on a bench at the sixth station of the Fujinomiya trail as his father and brother continued their ascent.

When the pair returned five hours later, officers were waiting with the young boy, who was unharmed and returned to his father.

Police warned the man that he could be held criminally liable for his actions, after which he expressed remorse for leaving the child unattended.

Climbers of the 12,388-foot-tall (3,776 meters) volcano have frequently required rescue due to altitude sickness or sudden, severe changes in mountain weather conditions. In response to safety concerns, authorities have introduced strict measures in recent years, including daily climber caps and mandatory safety instruction briefings.