In July, the body of Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi was found off the coast of Okinawa Island, Japan, and further details on the celebrated Japanese manga artist's death have now emerged.
Per a new report from American military publication Stars and Stripes, Takahashi, 60, died a hero while attempting to assist a US Army officer rescue three people from a riptide at Mermaid's Grotto, a popular scuba diving location in Okinawa.
Stars and Stripes reports that Takahashi's actions were "detailed in several sworn witness statements provided by the Army," and spoke with US Maj. Robert Bourgeau, 49, about the artist's involvement in the rescue. For his action, Bourgeau was nominated last month for the Soldier's Medal, an individual honour awarded for acts of heroism outside of conflict with an enemy.
Bourgeau was set to teach a scuba diving lesson at Mermaid's Grotto at just after 2 p.m. on July 4, and recalled to Stars and Stripes how "the conditions were really, really rough." Before beginning, he spotted a Japanese woman calling for help, pointing to her daughter and a US soldier trapped in a current out from shore.
The publication reports that Bourgeau dove in to rescue the two and soon became exhausted, sharing, "I grabbed mom and I grabbed [the girl] and I just kicked for all life." While the major shared he did not see Takahashi enter the water during the rescue, Stars and Stripes notes how his dive students caught glimpses of the artist before he disappeared.
"He's a hero," Bourgeau said of Takahashi. "He died trying to save someone else." You can read the complete report from Stars and Stripes here.
Per a new report from American military publication Stars and Stripes, Takahashi, 60, died a hero while attempting to assist a US Army officer rescue three people from a riptide at Mermaid's Grotto, a popular scuba diving location in Okinawa.
Stars and Stripes reports that Takahashi's actions were "detailed in several sworn witness statements provided by the Army," and spoke with US Maj. Robert Bourgeau, 49, about the artist's involvement in the rescue. For his action, Bourgeau was nominated last month for the Soldier's Medal, an individual honour awarded for acts of heroism outside of conflict with an enemy.
Bourgeau was set to teach a scuba diving lesson at Mermaid's Grotto at just after 2 p.m. on July 4, and recalled to Stars and Stripes how "the conditions were really, really rough." Before beginning, he spotted a Japanese woman calling for help, pointing to her daughter and a US soldier trapped in a current out from shore.
The publication reports that Bourgeau dove in to rescue the two and soon became exhausted, sharing, "I grabbed mom and I grabbed [the girl] and I just kicked for all life." While the major shared he did not see Takahashi enter the water during the rescue, Stars and Stripes notes how his dive students caught glimpses of the artist before he disappeared.
"He's a hero," Bourgeau said of Takahashi. "He died trying to save someone else." You can read the complete report from Stars and Stripes here.
