An 87-year-old man and his two-year-old granddaughter drowned after apparently falling into an irrigation canal in Kawasoe, Saga Prefecture, on Thursday night.
According to police, Rikiji Itoyama and his granddaughter Sakiho Yamada went out for a walk at around 6:30 p.m., Saga TV reported. Police received a call at around 7:30 p.m. from Sakiho’s father in which he said that his daughter and her grandfather had not returned from their walk.
At around 8 p.m., members of a search party saw two bodies floating in a canal. Police said Itoyama and Sakiho were taken to hospital where they were both pronounced dead about two hours later.
Police believe that the two were walking too close to the edge of the canal and, in the darkness, fell into the water. The canal is about 5.7 meters wide and the water 50 cms deep.
Sakiho would have celebrated her 3rd birthday on Friday, Saga TV reported.
© Japan Today
12 Comments
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carp_boya
I’d have to guess no. Since I became a parent (6 years ago), I have a hard time reading stories like this. It’s beyond sad… someone has lost both a parent and a child. Deepest condolences to Sakiho’s parents.
NOMINATION
Rest in peace and well wishes to her parents. 87 is a pretty old grandpa for a 2 year old. I wonder how he was able to handle a toddler by himself or left to do so.
Mark
Japan spent billions building a 14 meters high 200km long sea wall and can't put wire fences on so many open canals that are taking more lives than the tsunami.
Mark
Japan spent billions building a 14 meters high 200km long sea wall and can't put wire fences on so many open canals that are taking more lives than the tsunami.
Mark
Heart breaking story, RIP little grandpa and the angle, I pray for the family especially the parents of the child.
The Avenger
Even though canal water may look calm and slow-running, its undercurrent may be very fast.
Canal temperature is about 55 degrees and can cause hypothermia.
According to Yahoo Japan it was his great-granddaughter.
snowymountainhell
’Condolences’ offered for all these grieving families. This is another toddler lost this week while under the supervision(?)’ of a grandparent.
Yet, seems in this case, a third person was needed to watch over both the child and the advanced-aged senior?
(That grandfather’s age was not reported.)
Spitfire
RIP to the both of them.
A tragic accident.
Laguna
The danger of these ubiquitous, unfenced canals cannot be overstated.
Derek Grebe
This is a heartbreaking story.
Sakiho would have celebrated her 3rd birthday on Friday.
There are no words...can parents ever recover from this level of tragedy?