71 years old Water in the water for 4 hours 4

A woman in her 70s in Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, who was flooded by the Kuma River and flooded a wide area, helped her by holding on to the water for four hours to the neck, but she continued to cling to the pillar with encouragement from others.

The woman said, “The water was cold and I was trembling and I was prepared to die, but I was able to continue to have the will to live with the encouragement of others.”

Yasuko Kikuchi (71) in Shimobayashi-cho, Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, lives alone in a one-story home near a tributary of the Kuma River.

Around 8 am on the 4th of this month, I noticed that the living room folds up with water from the river, and the area around my house is also covered with water.

When I left the entrance to evacuate, the water reached my waist and became stuck. The water quickly rose and he said he desperately clung to the wooden pillars that supported the eaves of his house.

The water level rose further to more than 2 meters, and Mr. Kikuchi was in a state where he could only see his face from the water without his feet.

Despite seeming to be swept away by the water, I held my smartphone in my left hand and kept on holding the pillar in my right hand to secure the means of contact.

Mr. Kikuchi said, "The water was approaching in no time. The water was cold and my body trembled, and I was prepared to die."

When Mr. Kikuchi called out for help, a man in his 50s, who was far away, said he continued to encourage him, "Go for it," or "I'll be rescued soon."

After the chime, which announced the noon every day in the city, the water did not drain, and about 30 minutes later, I was finally rescued by a rescue team boat. It has been four and a half hours since it was soaked in water.

Mr. Kikuchi said, “Thanks to the encouragement for several hours, I was able to continue to have the will to live. I am grateful that I was really saved. I lost everything, but I want to live with a new feeling.” I told you.

Kikuchi-san, who lives alone, is still covered in mud, and the refrigerator and altar are still lying down.

Mr. Kikuchi said, "I can't leave my house clean up alone, but I want to rely on someone, on the contrary, help someone, and cherish my connection with others."