Japan tsunami survivor Hiromitsu Shinkawa found 10 miles out at sea

The Guardian UK ^ | 3/13/2011 | Justin McCurry

[gcraig]

Wow. That was always my big fear — to fall off the flight deck at night. The ocean is dark and terrible at night. Your experience must have been terrifying.

[bgill]

His wife, with whom he had returned home as the tsunami approached, is still missing.

Prayers for his wife and the thousands of others.

So, was whatever it was they went back into the house for worth the price they paid? At 65, one would think he'd have known better. Rule #1 - never, ever go back in for anything unless it's a child. Rule #2 - see #1. Things are replaceable, people are not.

[the invisib1e hand]

That’s a bit of a miracle, there, cracker.

[JimSEA]

Exactly!!

[Allegra]

That made me a bit misty reading that

It's heartbreaking, isn't it?

I hope he'll be OK and hope agaisnt hope that his wife will turn up somehow, but it doesn't look good.

Prayers for all of those shattered by this disaster.

[spetznaz]

Wow. You are a remarkably fortunate and blessed man.

[Allegra]

I went overboard once and was in the water for about 45 minutes...

That was probably the longest 45 minutes of your life.

I'm so glad you were rescued. I guess God wasn't ready for you to come home just yet...

[miss marmelstein]

I take your point! Because the Japanese love cameras, phones and gadgets we have amazing footage of this natural disaster. I know someone in Tokyo who is skyping (sic?) to her father in NYC.

[al baby]

Hi sweetie. yes it is beyond belief what has occurred there

[GVnana]

I get a sense of desolation and despair just reading about it!

[gleeaikin]

Here is AOL News report on the same topic. It has the advantage of including 500 photos of the quake story.

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/13/japan-man-hiromitsu-shinkawa-saved-from-rooftop-that-floated-to/?ncid=webmail

[JoeProBono]

[EternalVigilance]

“I thought today was the last day of my life,” it quoted him as saying.

[Squantos]

Been there in a way...extracted from a sub an upon surfacing I observed a visual version on your “alone”....versus your mental oh crap event.

Albeit I was only a short dive back to safety it was still thought provoking.

That said folks...never go into harms way for material items. Keepsakes aren’t worth ones life ....

Prayers for his wife an others lost.

[pillut48]

God bless him! :*)
Prayers going up that he finds his wife and family members safe and sound!

[NoGrayZone]

God Bless him!

[Safrguns]

I’ll bet money he was a Christian... or at least is one now.

[ReformedBeckite]

The guy is lucky his house floats, I wonder if he had Styrofoam for insulation

[SWAMPSNIPER]

We fished a little 32 footer, a modified Greek sponge boat hull built in 1928. The skipper was a technical wizard and became like a big brother to me. He modified an air force surplus Loran unit to work from a surplus 600V dynamotor and we were one of the first small boats in this area to have Loran. Everyone else in the shrimp and snapper fleets was using dead reckoning and RDF at the time.

If I had been with anyone other than Ted Yocius I'd probably still be out there.

Ted and his mother got out of Lithuania when he was just a kid, he could remember both Nazi and Soviet oppression. He was one tough nut, one of the strongest men I've ever known, and brilliant mentally to boot.

Ted and I had the kind of relationship where we would both be thinking along the same lines in just about any situation, a once in a lifetime friendship.Ted shared my love of photography and nature, he had a tropical seashell he discovered named in his honor.

Ted died a couple of years ago, it was the same as losing a brother.

[4integrity]

GOD was with you and those who rescued you. Thanks to God for protecting a fellow Freeper.