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A 16-year-old high school student died after jumping into the Tama River in Kawasaki as a penalty for losing a rap contest with his friends on Thursday night.
According to police, shortly before 10 p.m., a boy called 119 saying that his friend had jumped from a bridge into the Tama River and had not surfaced, Fuji TV reported.
Police and firefighters searched the area and found the body of Ratsuki Ota on the river bed about five meters downstream. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead due to drowning.
Police said Ota had been hanging out with five other classmates, and had jumped into the river as a penalty for losing a “rap contest.”
© Japan Today
19 Comments
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Toasted Heretic
RIP to the kid. His friends must be in a state. Losing a mate when you're that age is devestating.
Bugle Boy of Company B
Play stupid games and win stupid prizes.
Wolfpack
Many kids do stupid things when they are young which they can look back on and say “I was crazy for doing such a thing - I could have been seriously injured or killed.” Unfortunately, this is one of those occasions where the worst case scenario became reality. Being young and invincible can be hazardous to ones health.
Lockke
Point taken; could have been kids exercising the bet and he jumped on his own accord.
I dont take bullying out of the equation since if it was indeed bullying, those bullies would use that story to cover their ass. Dead man tells no tale. And judge me for all i care but bullying is rampart here, and there is a dead teen, and I see this being reported as a PRANK.
Strangerland
It happened to a guy I knew in high school. He jumped off a cliff while partying with some other guys, and never came back up out of the water.
MSR Japan
RIP silly one, condolences to your parents and family.
since1981
Please refrain from commenting on something you know nothing about. As tragic as this is, facts are as written in the article. The kids even gave videos of the rap off and (I think) the jump recorded on their cellphones to the police. No bullying, No "Dragging". Just stupid kids doing stupid things, unfortunately ending in the death of a friend. It has happened to so many of us when we were kids. I myself have lost close friends in my teens doing stupid stuff.
It was Tamagawa Ohashi (boarding Ota-ku and Kawasaki). High up? Yes especially considering the river is a bit shallow in that spot allot due to Typhooon 19 that brought so much mud and debris down stream.
Madden
Poor kid
BeerDeliveryGuy
When I was a kid, out of pure boredom, we did some pretty stupid games with stupider penalties for the loser. It’s sad that this one had to end tragically, but it could happen to anyone growing up in a boring town.
Kobe White Bar Owner
Lots my best mate at 16 and was ill equipped to deal with it and it messed me up for a long time , still have scares. hope these kids have a better support system than I did. RIP
juminRhee
Granted still minors, so punishment mitigated.
Hercolobus
Not worth losing one’s life over such a petty thing. Too many wonderful things to live for.
Isthiezak
Which bridge? Some are really high up.
sf2k
will charges be laid?
mmwkdw
Sad for the Parents & Family of the Boy.
His "Friends" or whoever coerced him into Jumping off that Bridge need to be held accountable.
Ellebelle
@since1981; To not tell my to “refrain”from commenting on something you have just have as much information on but added additional information to about the juveniles giving their phones over to the authorities. It’s laughable that I can’t speak my mind but your entitled to. It’s the authorities that will make the final judgment.
If you didn’t like the harsh reality I stated due to their being a part of it that not my problem.. They didn’t have to be there and could’ve stopped him. That’s what a real friend does when they see one doing something wrong. Like jumping into a river in the winter when it’s freezing !!!
I’ve not stood by and let let friends do things they would regret. You can help everyone but not while I’ve had knowledge of it. That’s when doing the right thing counts. Whether everyone is against you. Character counts. You will not stop me from making sure children are protected.
There is no coming back from death so you really should make good choices. Choices have a lasting effect and making sure you associate with people that make good choices.
It really the parent’s responsibility to teach that until adulthood then it’s ones sole responsibility to make their own choices.
macv
how tragically sad one should be happy to lose a crap contest
Ellebelle
First of all those were not his “ friends” they were douches he was associating with or was dragged there by force. How many Juveniles was he with when this occurred? None of them helped him when he was drowning? That’s manslaughter! Intentionally or not they were a cause in his death. They need to learn there are consequences for their actions which resulted in a death which needs to be addressed. I hope the prosecution and investigators don’t take sorry or whatever their doing now to try to get out of being charged. facts are they still did it and would probably do it again if given the chance. This probably isn’t the first time they’ve done this, just the first time they’ve killed. Evil
juminRhee
Self imposed penalty or was that the agreement (eg "okay, loser jumps in the river")? If the former, suicide; if the latter, homicide of a varying degree. At least in may countries. Could a japanese law commenter expand more on the legal side, please?