A man who directs a search by a local fisherman at the scene of an accident in which a sightseeing boat was distressed off the coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido responded to the interview, saying, "It happened in our own sea, so I want to help even one person." He talked about his feelings one week after the accident.
Akihiko Kosaka (63), who has been fishing in Shari for 45 years, is in charge of the site with a search team organized by local fishermen.
Mr. Kosaka and his colleagues participated in the search from the day after the accident of the sightseeing boat "KAZU 1".
On the day of the accident, although there was a rescue request, the waves were so high that he could not go to the scene, and it was said that he felt uncomfortable when he imagined the thoughts of the passengers.
Mr. Kosaka recalls the day of the accident, saying, "At that time, the waves were rushing in with white waves, so I think the rolling motion was quite scary. I think I could have rescued even a little if I could go to the scene."
From the day after the accident, Mr. Kosaka and his colleagues searched mainly along the coastline, which is difficult for large ships such as the Japan Coast Guard.
I have found life-saving equipment and shoes so far.
Above all, when I looked inside the backpack, which seems to belong to the passengers, I heard that no words came out.
Mr. Kosaka said, "There were children's snacks, games, and coloring books. Everyone lost their words when they saw them. It was really hard for all the fishermen to have children," he said. I did.
On the 30th, one week after the accident, Mr. Kosaka's fishing boats were seen in a row offshore to search.
And before 4 pm, Mr. Kosaka, who returned from the search, got off the ship with a life jacket and shoes with "KAZU" written on it.
Mr. Kosaka said, "I'm a fisherman and I want to help even one person just because I know the accident in the sea. Let alone because the accident happened in our own sea, everyone searched with the same thought to help. I am. "