Tsunami victim rescued at sea / MSDF locates survivor drifting on roof of destroyed house for 2 days

[AsahinaKimi]

Source: The Daily Yomiuri

FUKUSHIMA--A 60-year-old man drifting 15 kilometers off the shores of Fukushima Prefecture after being washed out to sea by Friday's tsunami was rescued by a Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel on Sunday.

Hiromitsu Shinkawa was drifting on the roof of his destroyed house about 15 kilometers off Futabamachi, Fukushima Prefecture, when he was rescued by the Chokai, an MSDF Aegis destroyer two days after Friday's gigantic earthquake.

According to the Defense Ministry's office of the Joint Staff, the Chokai's crew sighted Shinkawa waving his arms on the drifting roof on the sea, picked him up and used its ship-based helicopter to transport him to a hospital in Fukushima Prefecture.

At the time of the tsunami, Shinkawa was in his house in Minami-Soma, Fukushima Prefecture.

According to the ministry, one of the crew on watch with binoculars beside the bridge shouted, "A survivor is waving their hands," at 11:12 a.m.

Shinkawa was about six kilometers north of the Chokai, whose crew sighted him waving amid other drifting debris.

The crew went to alert status and the ship's intercom announced, "We've found a survivor and are heading for rescue." The Chokai lit its search lights, blew a whistle and increased speed a minute later.

The crew found Shinkawa sitting on the drifting roof and told him through a loudspeaker, "We are coming to your rescue."

When the crew lowered a small boat, Shinkawa waved and shouted, "Please help me quickly."

Though Shinkawa looked exhausted, he was brought into the Chokai, bathed and ate rice porridge and other food. Then he recovered his composure and described the two days since he was washed out to the sea.

Read more: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110314004302.htm

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One of the lucky ones... omg!

[kentauros]

1. I think I saw a photo of that rescue on another site.

Lucky, indeed! :D

Oh, I saw an email from the director of GlobalGiving, talking about how much work they were doing ever since the disaster. That's a great organization; thanks for posting it :)

[AsahinaKimi]

3. Kochira Koso

Kentauros san!! Honto desu! Yoroshiku ne!!!

[kentauros]

5. Okay, I don't know what any of that means

but I assume it's good ;)

[AsahinaKimi]

7. Yes!

Kochira koso=My pleasure
Honto Desu = Truly!
yoroshiku ne = will you take care or me as I will take care of you, won't you?

Japanese lesson of the day :D

[kentauros]

9. Thanks for the subtitles :)

Namaste

[dd2003]

10. excuse my ignorance perhaps

but are you Japanese? If so, do you have family in Japan? Is everyone okay? Wishing all DU members with friends and family in Japan my best.

[AsahinaKimi]

14. Hai

I am 3/4th Japanese and 1/4 Korean. My Father is from Osaka. My mother is half Japanese and half Korean, who was born in the USA. My grandmother is from Kong Ju south Korea. Her husband was from Miyazai prefecture Japan. (he as long since died, as has my dad's parents who lived in Osaka.) My father has a brother and his family in Osaka. They fared well. Thank you for your message!

Yoroshiku ne!
Kimiko yori

[myrna minx]

2. Oh wow - let's hope there are more survivors out there.

:hug:

[starroute]

4. This story is two days old -- does not belong in LBN

[dipsydoodle]

11. ditto

not LBN

[Scurrilous]

6. Woman, 70, found alive 4 days after Japan tsunami

<snip>

"Rescuers pulled a 70-year-old woman from her toppled home Tuesday, four days after an earthquake-spurred tsunami tossed the house off its foundation in Japan's northeast.

The rescues of the elderly Sai Abe and a younger man pulled from rubble elsewhere in the region were rare good news following Friday's disaster that killed at least 2,700 people and left thousands missing."

<snip>

"The elderly woman was suffering from hypothermia and was sent to a hospital, but appeared to have no life-threatening injuries, said Yuko Kotani, a spokesman for Osaka fire department."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42084500/ns/world_news-asiapacific/

[bullwinkle428]

8. I think Shinkawa-san has officially displaced Aron Ralston as

"the toughest mofo in the world"! :applause:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

12. a large percentage of the survivors so far have been the elderly

[feslen]

13. THUMBS UP! what else could I add?