Body of 16-year-old girl swept away in canal found

What a sad loss, my heart goes out to here parents.

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?

RIP. I begged my students to be careful during summer vacation.

Very sad

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!

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...

Damn shame...RIP... I concur with Alan as to why the schools weren't closed.

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?

pick..pick..pick..

I have lost my balance before. I hope her family finds peace. This is truly sad.

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?

kiwiboyJul. 18, 2015 - 04:19PM JST 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.

The contributing factor is perhaps torrential rain and an incoming typhoon?

I hope she wasn't using her phone while riding, that would compound the tragedy.

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!

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.

Japanese roads are not well maintained. Summer vacation time. 10 am she was on muddy road. RIP

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.