Overview
- Four elementary-school boys were playing on a rocky shore about 250 meters south of Jogashima Lighthouse when a high wave struck and one 10-year-old slipped into the sea around 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday.
- Friends alerted a nearby adult who called 110 and local police, fire crews and the Japan Coast Guard began search operations the same day.
- A Coast Guard diver located the boy about 30 meters offshore about 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, and he was taken to hospital where officials confirmed his death.
- The Japan Meteorological Agency had issued a wave advisory for Miura City for Sept. 9 and observers reported northwesterly winds near 12 m/s at the scene; the boy was not wearing a life jacket.
- Local police and the Coast Guard are investigating the circumstances and the case has prompted renewed calls for stricter supervision and clearer public warnings about the dangers of exposed rocky coastlines during hazardous sea conditions.