Down-and-out father, son find shelter up in tree

A man has been reduced to sleeping in a tree with his son in Foshan, Guangdong province after his wife left him for another man, media reported on Tuesday.

The runaway husband surnamed Deng was forced to branch out after leaving his home in Tengxian county, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region with his 10-year-old son one month ago when his wife abandoned them for a man she met online.

Unable to find a factory job in Foshan, Deng collects and recycles bottles to scrape by while he and his son spend their nights sleeping in a tree near a parking lot.

"Both children and adults are susceptible to rheumatism when sleeping on the grass. I'm also worried about safety if we slept near a road," said Deng.

Deng tethers himself and his boy with ropes at night to prevent from falling from the branches in their sleep. "I'm always on a tether," said Deng's son, adding that he nearly fell from the tree several times.

The pair climbs down early every morning so as to avoid detection from maintenance crews, said Deng.

Determined not to live on handouts and be self-reliant, Deng has declined both food and cash offered by local companies and neighbors.

"My only hope is to find a job that can provide a roof over my boy's head," said Deng.