An 11-year-old boy was found drifting alone on a large polystyrene block in the sea after failing to attend school.
The primary school pupil, surnamed Tsou, did not attend school yesterday (16 Jun) morning.
Concerned by the unusual absence, his teacher tried to contact his parents but received no answer.
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As Tsou had previously been identified by social services as coming from a vulnerable family, a welfare check was carried out at the family home.
Despite repeated knocks on the door, nobody responded, prompting police to issue a missing-person alert.
That afternoon, while the search was under way, a fisherman spotted a boy floating in the sea at the mouth of the Zhonggang River off Zhunan Township, Taiwan, atop a polystyrene block.
He immediately called police, as reported by Need To Know.
Coastguard officers rushed to the scene and managed to bring the boy, later confirmed to be Tsou, safely back to shore in an emergency rescue operation.
After the rescue, they contacted his father, who works in Hsinchu, and arranged for him to collect the child.
Initial investigations suggest Tsou may have travelled alone from neighbouring Houlong Township to the seaside area to play.
The exact circumstances and his motive remain under investigation.
The Miaoli County Government’s Education Department has since become involved and is providing counselling and support for both the boy and his parents.
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