One U.S. Airman Dead, Two Missing After Typhoon Phanfone Slams Okinawa

[jakeXT]

Source: NBC News

One airman in Okinawa, Japan, was confirmed dead and two more were missing and feared drowned Sunday after being swept away by waves caused by Typhoon Phanfone, the U.S Air Force and local coastguard officials said. "Three airmen were washed out to sea from the northwest coast of Okinawa" at about 3:45 p.m. local time (2.45 a.m. ET), the Kadena Air Base said in a statement.

One of the airmen was found by the Japanese Coast Guard and pulled from the sea was later pronounced dead at a local hospital, base officials said.

A coastguard helicopter was deployed to search for the three shortly after 4 p.m. local time (3 a.m. ET) Sunday, officials told NBC News.

The incident happened after the eye of the storm had passed through Okinawa.

Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/one-u-s-airman-dead-two-missing-after-typhoon-phanfone-n218651

[TexasProgresive]

1. So no Okinawans dead?

I guess they are too smart to be on the coast during a typhoon. Makes you wonder were the airmen surfing?

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

2. That's what I was thinking. n/t

[Art_from_Ark]

7. I was talking to a woman from Okinawa the other night about typhoons

She said that when a typhoon comes (and Okinawa gets a lot of strong ones), people there just wait it out in their concrete houses that are equipped with metal storm shutters.

[Blue_Tires]

11. According to this the surfer was Japanese

and the Air Force guys were trying to photograph him...

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/world/asia/japan-typhoon-phanfone/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[flying_wahini]

3. Probably following some asshat's orders

To show our strength

[whistler162]

4. Or they wanted to try and surf

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xh47ot_surfing-typhoon-waves-in-japan_sport&start=13

[theHandpuppet]

5. Another article, this from the Belfast Telegraph

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/90mph-typhoon-heads-for-tokyo-30639439.html
90mph typhoon heads for Tokyo
05 October 2014

A powerful typhoon is heading toward Tokyo after lashing southern Japan, where it killed at least one US airman on Okinawa island and left two others missing.

Typhoon Phanfone was off the coast of Shikoku in southwestern Japan on Sunday night, packing winds of up to 144 kilometress (90 miles) per hour after hitting the southern regions of Okinawa and Kyushu, the Meteorological Agency says.

Japan's Coast Guard says three US Air Force members were washed away by high waves on Sunday, with one found dead and the other two still missing. The Air Force said only that three of its airmen were missing.

Several people on Kyushu island were injured.... MORE

[davidpdx]

6. It could have been worse if the storm had not turned to the east

Japan is going to get a two-fer.

[Art_from_Ark]

8. Well, the typhoon wasn't much when it arrived here

Just a lot of sporadic rain over a 24-hour period, with occasionally heavy downpours in the northern Tokyo metro area..

[davidpdx]

9. Glad to hear you survived

We should change your name to Art the Fish

[Art_from_Ark]

10. It wasn't really that spectacular of an accomplishment

I've seen thunderstorms in Arkansas that were meaner than the typhoon that just passed through

[Aristus]

12. "Republicans Urge President Obama To Declare War On Weather."

Because.....I don't know...Benghazi, or something....