On July 6, 2022, a Japanese man was found dead, face down in the water, about 1,000 feet from the coast of Okinawa Island in Japan. He was wearing snorkelling gear, including a mask.
This man was loved by millions of people throughout the world. His name was Kazuki Takahashi, and he was the mangaka who created the world of Yu-Gi-Oh.
Image 1
His death initially appeared to be a tragic snorkelling accident. However, the truth is a story of untold bravery and care for others.
This is what really happened to Kazuki Takahashi.
Who Was Kazuki Takahashi?
Kazuki Takahashi – also known as Kazuo – was born in 1961. He worked as a manga artist, or mangaka. He was best known for designing the Yu-Gi-Oh series, which spawned the much-loved trading card game, TV series, and more.
Takahashi had a passion for games and Ancient Egyptian mythology. As such, the mangaka developed the Yu-Gi-Oh (‘King of Games’) series, which follows the adventures of Yugi Muto.
Yugi encounters an ancient puzzle known as the Millennium Puzzle. He then releases the spirit of an Egyptian pharaoh, takes on that alter ego, and must solve conflicts through games.
Yu-Gi-Oh began as a series in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1996, and in 1999 was turned into a real-life trading card game, relaunched in 2002. Since then, it’s grown to include video games, toys, books, and more.
Since its release, over 35 billion Yu-Gi-Oh cards have been sold, making it the most popular trading card game in the world. The rarest of these cards can sell for huge amounts of money.
Then, in early July 2022, the 60-year-old made a fateful trip to the ocean.
Where Did Kazuki Takahashi Go Snorkelling?
The date was July 4, 2022. A Monday. Takahashi was visiting the island of Okinawa alone, having rented a car. He parked up on a farm road near the town of Onna and walked down to his destination: Mermaid’s Grotto.
Mermaid’s Grotto is a beautiful spot, popular with divers and snorkellers. Takahashi brought snorkelling gear with him and set up on the beach, despite the rather horrendous weather conditions. Tall waves were crashing down in the surf, a dangerous environment for any swimmer or diver.
But Takahashi certainly wasn’t alone on the beach.
In nearby Yomitan on Okinawa Island, you find Torii Station, a United States Army base. There is still a significant presence of American soldiers on the island.
One of these was Deputy Operations Officer for the 10th Support Group and diving instructor, Major Robert Bourgeau. Arriving at Mermaid’s Grotto around 2 p.m., the 49-year-old U.S. Major met up with two of his diving students.
They looked out to the ocean. “The conditions were really, really rough,” Bourgeau told Stars and Stripes magazine. The three quickly made the call not to dive that day.
Then, screams cut through the air.
Swimmers in Trouble at Mermaid’s Grotto
Immediately on alert, Bourgeau and his two students scanned the scene and quickly noticed a Japanese woman screaming for help. She was pointing at her daughter, who was trapped in the water.
The 11-year-old girl, along with a 39-year-old soldier, wascaught in a riptide about 100 yards offshore. The six-foot-high waves were crashing over them. The combination of the waves and the current was creating a terribly dangerous whirlpool effect.
Still in running shoes, Bourgeau and one of his diving students ran down to the water and waded into the shallows. The other student pulled out their phone and immediately called the emergency services.
Bourgeau saw no other option. He cast his personal safety aside and swam out into the riptide, grabbing the 11-year-old girl. Kicking with all his might, he escaped the current and returned to the shallows.
Image 2
Then, he turned around and saw the mother in the water, also struggling. Bracing himself, he went in to pull her out. Again, the riptide was incredibly strong, and he felt utterly exhausted. Nevertheless, he reached her and, again, powered through the current to reunite her with her daughter in the shallows.
Bourgeau Uses All His Strength
He then turned back for the soldier. But by this point, Bourgeau was utterly physically exhausted. It was all he could do to keep himself afloat, never mind haul another man in towards the shoreline.
Thinking of his family, he made the heart-wrenching decision to leave the water – and hope that the soldier would be able to escape by himself. He was fading quickly, but his studentsyelled words of encouragement. With the last ounces of his strength, he managed to free himself and get back to the shallows.
He wasn’t done there, though. From the beach, he barked out orders to the soldier, still dangerously trapped in the surf’s whirlpool effect. Thankfully, he managed to tell the soldier how to escape the whirlpool. The 39-year-old, exhausted, eventually made his way back to the shore.
Takahashi Went to Help
However, unbeknownst to Bourgeau and his diving team at the time, another brave man had entered the water to try to help. This man was Kazuki Takahashi.
Nobody has reported the precise moment when Takahashi entered the water. However, it was most likely after he saw Major Bourgeau beginning to struggle and fatigue. The mangaka must have felt he had no choice other than to risk his own life for the people still in the water.
The fact that he didn’t loudly announce his rescue attempt reveals that he had no thoughts for his own safety or glory. His sole focus must have been to rescue whoever was still stuck in the whirlpool effect of the riptide. What a hero.
Bourgeau’s teams caught glimpses of a man swimming and trying to help, until the waves swamped him, and they saw him no more.
Kazuki Takahashi’s Legacy
It would be two days – Wednesday, July 6 – before someone running a marine leisure business spotted a body off the shore of Awa, Nago. It was retrieved from the water by the Coast Guard and, the following day, on July 7, was identified by his family as Takahashi.
This matched the driver’s license found in the rental car left on the farm road in Onna, which was searched by police after it appeared to have been abandoned.
Image 3
He was still wearing his snorkelling gear, and over the two days, his body had been damaged by some marine animal, possibly sharks. However, this does not appear to have contributed to his death, which was officially declared a drowning accident.
Although the Coast Guard itself would never actually confirm Takahashi’s involvement in the rescue attempt, his actions were recorded by several sworn statements from members of the United States Army.
Major Bourgeau never had any idea that Takahashi had dived in to try to help him save the three struggling swimmers. He struggled with the ‘what if’ questions for some time afterwards.
Later, his command nominated him for the Soldier’s Medal, which recognizes acts of heroism not associated with fighting an enemy. He was awarded this on June 9, 2023, at Kadena Air Base.
As for Takahashi, a man who left such an impact on the world, Major Bourgeau’s words – quoted in the magazine Stars and Stripes – sum it all up: “He’s a hero… He died trying to save someone else.”
Sources
https://www.unilad.com/news/yugioh-kazuki-takahashi-heroic-death-20221012
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/07/world/asia/kazuki-takahashi-yu-gi-oh-dead.html
Leave a comment