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Toddler Left in Tent During Mount Prau Summit, Father Apologizes

Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 18, 2026•3 min read

A toddler was found crying alone in a Mount Prau tent on Thursday (15/10/2026) as parents summited. The father has now apologized, admitting his negligence.

Key Facts

Kamis (15/10/2026) sekitar pukul 13.00 WIB, seorang balita ditemukan menangis sendirian di dalam tenda yang tertutup rapat di area perkemahan Gunung Prau, Wonosobo, Jawa Tengah, tanpa ada orang dewasa di sekitarnya.
Saat kejadian, kedua orang tua sang anak tengah melakukan perjalanan summit menuju puncak Gunung Prau; sang anak yang masih tertidur dititipkan kepada seorang teman yang mendirikan tenda tepat di sebelah tenda mereka.
Ketika balita tersebut terbangun dan mulai menangis, teman yang dititipi rupanya ikut tertidur lelap. Tangisan itu didengar rombongan pendaki lain yang melintas; mereka menenangkan dan menemani sang anak hingga kedua orang tuanya kembali sekitar satu jam kemudian.
Video kejadian tersebut viral di media sosial setelah diunggah akun Instagram @ranger_prau dan @prau_mountain, dan turut diliput sejumlah media nasional termasuk Liputan6 SCTV.
Sabtu (17/10/2026), sang ayah datang ke basecamp Gunung Prau untuk memberikan klarifikasi sekaligus menyampaikan permohonan maaf. Ia mengakui kelalaiannya, berterima kasih kepada para pendaki yang menolong anaknya, dan meminta video sang anak dihapus dari media sosial.
Peristiwa ini menjadi pengingat pentingnya memastikan anak selalu dalam pengawasan orang dewasa yang benar-benar terjaga saat berada di lingkungan pendakian.

Left Behind for Summit, Toddler Cries Alone in Tent

The incident occurred on Thursday (15/10/2026) at around 1:00 p.m. WIB (Western Indonesia Time) in the camping area of Mount Prau, Wonosobo, Central Java. A toddler was found crying hysterically alone inside a tightly zipped tent, with no adults around.

At that time, both of the child's parents were making a summit push toward the peak of Mount Prau. Before departing, the child, who was still asleep, was entrusted to a friend who had pitched a tent right next to theirs.

However, when the toddler woke up and began crying, the friend entrusted with the child had apparently also fallen fast asleep and was unaware of the child's situation. The crying was eventually heard by a group of other hikers passing near the campsite. They immediately approached the tent, comforted, and accompanied the child until the parents returned approximately an hour later.

Video Goes Viral on Social Media, Father Apologizes at Basecamp

The moment the toddler was crying alone in the tent was recorded and widely circulated on social media. The video, uploaded by Instagram accounts @ranger_prau and @prau_mountain, sparked public backlash against the child's parents and was covered by several national media outlets, including Liputan6 SCTV (Surya Citra Televisi).

Following widespread discussion of the video, the father arrived at the Mount Prau basecamp on Saturday (17/10/2026) to provide clarification and deliver an apology. He admitted to his negligence in supervising the child.

“I apologize for my negligence in looking after my child. This serves as a lesson for me to be better,” the father stated in the circulating video. He also expressed gratitude to the hikers who helped watch over and comfort his child. “I also thank the fellow hiker who looked after my child,” he said.

Through the same post, the mountain management stated that the toddler's parents requested that the video of their child be promptly deleted from social media.

Safety Reminder for Hiking with Children

This incident serves as a reminder to parents to ensure children remain under the constant supervision of fully awake and attentive adults, particularly in hiking environments that pose safety hazards such as cold temperatures and rugged terrain.

Mount Prau in the Dieng area, Wonosobo, is renowned as a popular destination for beginner hikers, standing at 2,565 meters above sea level. Its camping area is frequently packed with hikers on weekends, making extra supervision of children an absolute necessity.