The lost girl, Huang, is posted by her father on Sina Weibo.

A 4-year-old girl has been lost on a beach in Nanhui New City, Shanghai, for more than 60 hours, triggering public concern for the girl's safety. The incident has also sparked a heated discussion over guardianship responsibility once again, making it a trending topic on social media.

At around 6:40 pm on Wednesday, a couple reported the incident to Lingang police in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, claiming that their 4-year-old daughter had wandered off while they were playing on the beach. The girl's father said that they brought the girl Huang to play about 20 meters away from the shoreline on that day. He went away to get his mobile phone and left Huang alone on the beach. After more than 10 minutes, the father returned to the beach but could not find his daughter, according to local police on Friday. 

Police immediately organized a search effort along the coast, and the fire department dispatched an infrared sensor drone. After searching all night, the girl remained missing, according to police.

The next day, police and the rescue teams dispatched nearly 200 people to conduct a sweeping search. At the same time, police reviewed footage from nearby surveillance cameras, and initially ruled out the possibility of the girl being kidnapped.

However, as the cameras are far away from the scene of the incident, people in the image can only be shown as blurs. Until the evening, the father finally pointed out the exact location when he and his daughter were separated from each other in the surveillance camera. 

The police identified the girl among nearly 100 people in the camera image. The video footages show that after waiting in place for about 10 minutes, the individual believed to be the girl walked to the water's edge, falling down and disappearing in the waves, the police said in the notice released via its official Sina Weibo account on Friday.

The police have also coordinated with hydrologists from universities to analyze the direction of the water flow to guide search efforts.

Affected by tides, the beach was experiencing significant swell, complicating police efforts. The search and rescue operation will continue, according to a team leader surnamed Ran from Shanghai Blue Sky rescue team, according to media reports.

The incident generated significant online attention, with several topics related to the incident gaining more than 130 million views. Many netizens hoped the girl could be found as soon as possible, although admitting that it would require a miracle.

"I am very worried, and keep constantly refreshing the hot search page, hoping to see the news the girl has been found," one netizen commented.

Many netizens expressed their doubt and question over why a father would leave a 4-year-old child alone on a beach. Regardless of the natural risks of the tide, the risk of being carried away by strangers is also enough to prevent parents from leaving their children alone. 

"Some say what's the point of blaming the parents now? Of course, it's useful, it will remind similar parents to be cautious and avoid such tragedy," one netizen wrote. 

The father on Friday night released a number of photos with time points, saying that they were photos of the lost girl, which came from the clues provided by netizens. The first picture was taken on 5:33 pm on Wednesday, when the girl was with her father. With the last identified picture taken at 5:53 pm, with the girl seemingly alone on the beach. 

There are rumors claiming the man involved is not the girl's biological father, and the girl has been lost once before. This speculation was later debunked, with no reported incident of the girl having gone missing previously, according to media reports.

The public should treat this incident as a warning about child safety. If this is an accident, the child's parents are absolutely heartbroken more than any netizens, one netizen commented.

"Please keep comments rational and help protect the clear and clean cyberspace," the same netizen added.

A total of 177 Sina Weibo accounts so far have been suspended or shut down for allegedly spreading rumors against the family of the missing girl.

Global Times