The body of a 16-year-old girl who was swept away by a torrent of water in a canal in Okegawa, Saitama Prefecture, on Thursday morning, was found on Saturday, police said.
The girl's body was found about 2.8 kilometers downstream from where she fell into the canal, at around 10 a.m. Saturday, Fuji TV reported. A helicopter spotted her floating in the canal.
Police said the water level in the canal was higher than normal due to heavy rain from the typhoon and the spot where the girl, who was riding a bicycle, lost her balance and fell in, was about two meters deep.
© Japan Today
16 Comments
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Brian Wheway
What a sad loss, my heart goes out to here parents.
smithinjapan
What kind of path was she riding on that allowed her to so easily fall into a canal that she could not get out of? I realize the water level was higher than normal, but no fence? no proper curbs?
kiwiboy
Unusual to loose your balance on a bike unless there's a contributing factor. Could be a bad road/footpath, could have been slippery due to rain, or maybe she was on her cell phone? Will probably never know unless there were witnesses. Regardless of cause, very sad for the family.
Alan
From what I heard on NHK news, a teacher saw her riding her bike along a path next to the canal. The path was covered in water, and she may have ridden into a concealed pothole or patch of loose gravel, which caused her to topple into the canal. I would guess that the item that made her lose her balance was an umbrella rather than a mobile phone. The question I want answered is why the poor girl was trying to get to school in the middle of a typhoon. Why weren't the schools closed?
maitai62
Damn shame...RIP... I concur with Alan as to why the schools weren't closed.
FizzBit
pick..pick..pick..
Mirai Hayashi
Very sad
nath
Many schools were cancelled but not all. And some students left before the cancellation was announced, that usually means a teacher sends them back home if it is safe. If I was a parent I would decide myself when it is safe and not wait for the school to make a decision much too late sometimes. Parents should think of safety not attendance. This Thursday I should have left my house at 0530 to drive to school, usually I do and get there to find out classes are cancelled. This time I took it on myself to say it was too dangerous and when the word came an hour and a half later that school was cancelled I was already back on my futon!
sensei258
RIP. I begged my students to be careful during summer vacation.
Serrano
Life can be fleeting. Some people, like this girl, fall off their bicycles and drown in canals. Others get hit by trucks or cars. I can't imagine the grief of her parents...
Aaron Loki Brummett
I have lost my balance before. I hope her family finds peace. This is truly sad.
toshiko
Japanese roads are not well maintained. Summer vacation time. 10 am she was on muddy road. RIP
sensei258
I hope she wasn't using her phone while riding, that would compound the tragedy.
David Blue
Sad since it was only 2 m = 6.56167979003 ft . I stand 5.9 ft = 1.79832 m tall. More people should teach their children to swim.
Magnus Roe
The contributing factor is perhaps torrential rain and an incoming typhoon?
Brian Wheway
Toshiko, believe me your roads are a pretty good condition, if you want to see bad roads come to the UK you need a armoured personal carrier to drive on our roads the pot holes are very bad!