Father dies trying to stop son's hydrogen sulfide gas suicide

Sunday 06th September, 05:50 AM JST

SAITAMA —

Another two lives were claimed in the long line of hydrogen sulfide gas suicides that began to erupt earlier this year, this time a 13-year-old boy and his father, who was attempting to rescue the boy, police said Saturday. Police said they received a call from a woman at around 5:30 a.m. on Friday reporting that her son had collapsed. Emergency crews rushed to the scene and found the boy and his father, 46, unconscious in the home.

According to police reports, the boy had awoken that morning and said he was going to take a shower. After some time when the boy didn’t come out, his father then went into the bathroom and found a note on the shower door saying “Hydrogen Sulfide Gas In Use.” When he opened the door to rescue his son, he also fell unconscious, according to his wife.

Emergency crews said the pair were dead by the time they arrived. In the shower was a bucket containing chemicals to create the gas and a note written by the boy declaring, “I’m too tired to go on living.”

News reports

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Latest 15 of 34 Total Comments Show All

herefornow at 06:38 AM JST - 6th September

ptolemy -- spot on. Bet none of the folks bashing the dad ever raised a teenage boy. I did, and can only find complete sadness in my heart for both these unfortunate victims -- actually three, including the mom.
Apsara at 08:46 AM JST - 6th September

I have known a number of people who committed suicide, and in each case it came as a complete shock to their families. Some people are very, very good at hiding their mental state, and also their preparations to commit suicide, right up until the last minute. I have started thinking that this is an incredibly selfish way to commit suicide, as it seems that people who use it take family members and even people in neighboring apartments down with them far too often. Of course the father is going to try to save his son, probably with fatal consequences. And the person who said that most people in Japan are up and commuting by 5am? No, they aren't. I have to leave home at 6 one day a week, and the streets and stations in Tokyo are very quiet at that time. Totally inaccurate comment.
kirakira25 at 09:25 AM JST - 6th September

I agree. "Most people start commuting by 5am"? Utter rubbish. Especially in the case of 13 year old kids.
womanforwomen at 09:27 AM JST - 6th September

Life is getting harder for young ones for sure.

Asians have baths and showers in the mornings and very early sometimes. It is not something unusual.
gogogo at 12:50 PM JST - 6th September

Selfish idiot.
Disillusioned at 01:37 PM JST - 6th September

"Most people start commuting by 5am"? Utter rubbish. Especially in the case of 13 year old kids.

Yet another misnomer. The kids will start bukatsu (club) training at 6:30-7:00am and depending on their transport needs of course they will have to be up and in the shower at 5am. This is after being at juku till 10pm, of course. It's pretty easy to understand why so many of these kids just give up. They are not kids! Just tools to keep the education tables turning.
Asara at 01:45 PM JST - 6th September

Well this officially proves that the japanese society is how badly turning into antihuman trends that making these little kids doing such a terrible thing. RIP.
jewel at 04:37 PM JST - 6th September

"Who is to say the 'Father of the decade' was not the main reason this kid decided to off himself? If he was such a great parent why did he not realize his 13y/o son was suicidal?"

That is really an unfair statement. For one, the father may have known the son was having problems and perhaps the father had tried to encourage his son, or perhaps the son was just keeping his problems all bottled up inside and the father had no idea. When you were 13 did you tell your parents all your feelings? I didnt tell mine. I think around 13 teens begin trying to assert their independance from their parents so they dont run to their parents to tell them everytime they have a problem anymore. I know there are exceptions but many teens are like that. We don`t have enough information to make such a harsh judgement call on this father who DID give his life for his son.
isthistheend at 06:24 PM JST - 6th September

I don't think its just one thing such as selfishness. Life just gets overwhelming, and at that age, a person doesn't think logically about the consequences. Maybe he/she's thinking, "I'll do this, because life has become unbearable;" but why couldn't/can't they think of an alternative action that would also prolong their lives and give them a chance to see a brighter picture than at present? That is the question. I think the 13 year old stage has a lot to do with bullying, pushing, peer presure etc. But now that modern internet instant information system has evolved, kids learn too much about well, just about anything they want to. Remembering back to my teen years, about the ages between 16-18 were the danger period and recreational drugs were rampant in high schools. A star athlete, baseball and basketball player, first team at a very prestigious school got a scholarship to a small college, and perhaps out of lonelieness indulged in his penchant for drugs to his demise. He died at 18.5. I visited his parents within a year, and they were just the most decent, respectable, crushed to the heart people you'd ever could have met. I'm sure its like that for all suicide related families.
timtak at 07:47 PM JST - 6th September

Really tragic. Greater love.
gogogo at 10:11 PM JST - 6th September

isthistheend: Suicide is never the answer, it is why it is illegal and against most countries law, I take no pity on anyone that takes their own life, that person is the ultimate quitter and there are far more better way to get attention or help yourself.
Makun at 11:15 PM JST - 6th September

It's really sad...I cant imagine the terror the father went through before losing consciousness himself. When I was 13 years old I was playing SNES and being lazy (Not much has changed I guess) But never considered my life was too horrible to go on. Then again, I understand the pressures and differences in culture. We will never know the circumstances, just the outcome.
Midnightpromise at 11:34 PM JST - 6th September

Bet none of the folks bashing the dad ever raised a teenage boy.

My two boys and one girl, all now over 30, never commited suicide, guess that makes me a failure when compared to the hero in this story..
ablestmage at 01:16 PM JST - 7th September

Perhaps in Japan it may be untoward to criticize the dead, but I find the idea perfectly reasonable. Those remarking on how insensitive such speculation is, are themselves, desensitized to reason. To suggest a lack of empathy indicates selective use of empathy, for failing to empathize with criticism.
kokorocloud at 01:22 PM JST - 7th September

What a terrible story... I hope the wife/mother will be able to cope. Losing a child and husband all at once must be devastating.