In July, the world discovered of the unhappy passing of Kazuki Takahashi, the creator of Yu-Gi-Oh! On the time his dying was recorded by officers as a drowning, however a current report from the US army’s newspaper has supplied some additional particulars not recognized on the time.
A narrative on Stars & Stripes, the Division of Defence’s personal information service, experiences {that a} “U.S. Military officer [has been] acknowledged for rescuing three folks from a riptide at a well-liked Okinawa dive spot in an episode that apparently killed a widely known Japanese manga artist”.
The officer, 49 year-old Main Robert Bourgeau, has been beneficial for a Soldier’s Medal for his actions on July 4, which passed off at Mermaid’s Grotto within the village of Onna, Okinawa. Bourgeau reportedly noticed three swimmers—two Japanese civilians and a fellow US soldier—struggling in a harmful riptide, and whereas “nonetheless sporting his trainers” raced out to rescue them.
The S&S report says that whereas the riptide alone was harmful sufficient, six-foot waves crashing amongst it shortly precipitated a whirlpool impact, which started sucking within the stranded swimmers.
Bourgeau—a skilled scuba diving teacher—was in a position to convey each civilians to shore, after which direct the US soldier to security as nicely. Throughout the rescue, nonetheless, “a number of sworn witness statements supplied by the Military” say Takahashi additionally jumped in to assist, however onlookers solely “caught glimpses of him till he disappeared beneath the waves.”
“He’s a hero”, Bourgeau informed Stars & Stripes. “He died attempting to avoid wasting another person.”
Takahashi’s physique was discovered by the Japanese Coast Guard the subsequent day floating off the coast of Nago, a metropolis within the northern a part of Okinawa. His automotive was later found parked at Mermaid’s Grotto.
