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Man, 9-year-old son found dead in Tokyo river after night fishing

24 Comments

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RIP, really sad story :(

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Tragic.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

I pass that place like every week ... RIP

5 ( +5 / -0 )

son fell in and the dad tried to resuce him? or vice versa? either way, it's a tragedy. get your kids in swimming school, folks.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Two of the most important life skills I learned 55 years ago were typing and how to swim. Everyone needs to learn how to swim.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

after midnight is late for a 9 year old.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

not enough info to make assumptions but if the river is a slow current then it would seem that the father or son couldnt swim or couldnt swim well. seriously people if you want to spend time in or near the water learn to swim, kids should be taught to swim at an early age.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

I wouldn't rule out murder / suicide just yet...

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

The likely scenario is the kid accidentally fell into the river. The father jumped in to save him. If it is vice versa, the kid would have gone to get help. Unfortunately they both cannot swim well. This should be taken as an example to show people really need to take precaution when doing certain activities. It is in the middle of the night. It is dark. No passer by are likely. Both are not good swimmers. Maybe bringing life jackets or some kind of small floating board is a good idea.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Is there no requirement to wear life-jackets in Japan? Can't imagine taking a young child on a boat without one. RIP to them both, but I hope lessons can be learned from the tragedy.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Seeing from the picture that there are so many things to hang on to and pull yourself out of the water with they must have not known how to swim.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Yeah, I'd guess that the boy has fallen in, is a weak or non-swimmer, the Dad has gone in after him and is possibly also a weak or non-swimmer.

Even if he has some water skills and is reasonably fit for his age, rescuing a panicked non-swimmer with no aids is very, very difficult. If he got to his son in the dark, there is a good chance the boy has dragged him to his death in a panic.

The other aspect to remember is that most people drown silently. They just go under and don't re-surface.

It's very sad, but probably a deeply courageous thing for the father to have done.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I don't see many lifebelts on railings along Tokyo riverside areas. That wouldn't cost a lot and a lifebelt could save a non-swimmer.

RIP

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Very very sad indeed. The fighting we had to go through to get our first boy to start swimming lessons was a non negotiable skill he had to learn. Now he loves it and is already snorkelling in the wild crystal clear rivers near us. It really is a survival skill all children must learn which goes a long way to preventing such tragedies.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Bad luck. Condolences.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

My son, against the strong protests of my wife was put into swimming lessons before the age of 1 and could swim across the pool before he could fully walk. With all the water in and around Japan, the population needs to quit being scared of water. I was shocked at all the people that I met in Japan who couldn't swim.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Honestly, it never stops blowing my mind that people actually have to learn to swim. When I was in kindergarten, my class was having a learning to swim day. I immediately got into the pool and starting swimming. I played in the pool while the other students were spending hours learning to do what seemed totally natural to me. If I actually wanted to drown myself, I would REALLY have to work at it, since I naturally float (doesn't everyone?). Seems people just over-think the situation and freak out.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

@badman well done sir, unfortunately my wife wouldn't allow that, but both my sons started learning at 3yrs. oldest one now does it as a sport and at 9yrs old can in a race literally leave me in his wake, cant keep him out of the pool. LOL

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The #1 cause of accidental death of children here in Florida, is Drowning;

hence, I taught my daughter to swim before she was three. I didn't learn until I was eight.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Grumpy old man time...

The #1 cause of accidental death of children here in Florida, is Drowning;

But do you know whether the majority of those kids that drowned were able to swim or not? From my own experience, kids who get themselves into trouble in the water tend to be the cocky ones who can swim and who have no fear of the water.

according to a 42-year-old woman who was fishing around the area

That breaks the stereotype.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Deep Forest: Seems people just over-think the situation and freak out.

I think this happens in many drowning cases. In this case - the child possibly panicking and taking the father down with him. It could also be that father also was not a good swimmer. If people just think to turn over on their backs and paddle a little with their legs and arms they can stay afloat very easily. Learning to swim is a basic responsibility that one would hope parents would ensure their children know how to do. I see a lot of parents taking their kids to learn to swim at the gym I attend. I often think how smart they are for making sure their kids know what they are doing in the water.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

after midnight is late for a 9 year old.

Two lives lost and you are worried that he was out past his usual bedtime? I wish I could understand that thinking that goes on behind a comment like that, along with the 9 upvotes.

Was that an attempt to paint the father as irresponsible? For your information, night fishing takes place at night. It's a school holiday and he was with a parent. Sounds like it was a great bonding experience turned tragic. These threads are always filled with people ready to blame the parents. So often commenters who have no kids themselves.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Sorry that this incident happened but what are people thinking when they bring their kids near water when neither the parents nor kids know how to swim properly?

Every summer, same old thing, doofus and their poor children go near water, fall in and die the second they can't touch the ground with their feet.

Learn to swim. It ought to be forced upon everyone in gradeschool.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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