A family outing turned into a nightmare when a 4-year-old girl disappeared from a beach in Nanhui District, Shanghai. The incident unfolded as the family of five enjoyed a day of fun by the seaside on October 4.
According to witnesses, the mother and grandmother were tending to an infant boy at a distance while the father accompanied their daughter to play on the beach, approximately 20 meters away from the water’s edge. The father briefly left his daughter to retrieve his phone, leaving her unattended for approximately 12 minutes. Upon returning, he was devastated to find his daughter missing.
Nearly 200 search and rescue personnel were mobilized to comb the area. Informed of the case, several netizens who happened to be at the beach on the same day came forward with photos they had taken, capturing the silhouette of a little girl alone on the beach. The father of the missing girl later confirmed her identity. While reviewing surveillance footage on October 5, police spotted the girl walking toward the water after waiting on the beach for 10 minutes. Tragically, she fell into the waves and was swept away. On October 19, police announced that the girl’s body was found on the tidal flat in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, nearly 200 kilometers from the beach she disappeared.
Her disappearance drew nationwide attention, with many netizens directing criticism toward the father for his negligence. A total of 175 Weibo accounts suspected of cyber bullying the father were temporarily suspended. But many netizens called for criminal charges against the girl’s father. Media and experts called on parents to improve their safety awareness and remain vigilant when caring for minors.
Old Version
