After missing school, an 11-year-old boy named Tsou was discovered adrift at sea on a large piece of polystyrene. Concerned about his absence, his teacher tried contacting his parents but received no response. Tsou, from a vulnerable family, was not found at home, leading to a missing-person alert being issued by the police.
Later that day, a fisherman spotted Tsou floating in the ocean near Zhunan Township, Taiwan, on the polystyrene block. The authorities quickly rescued him and contacted his father, who came to collect him. Initial investigations suggest Tsou may have traveled alone from a neighboring town to play by the seaside.
The exact circumstances of Tsou’s ocean drift are still being investigated. The Miaoli County Government’s Education Department is offering counseling and support to Tsou and his parents in light of the incident.
Notably, two years ago, a similar incident occurred where a young boy was found floating in a transparent bubble off Lazaro Beach in Ubatuba, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Rafael Graça do Prado, a concerned sailor, spotted the boy and ensured his safety, expressing worries about the boy’s oxygen supply inside the bubble.
