New information is coming out about the July 4th death of Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi that paints him as a hero.
Stars & Stripes reports that Takahashi, 60, died trying to assist a U.S. Army officer in the rescue of three people drowning.
Maj. Robert Bourgeau, 49, said he spotted a Japanese woman calling for help at Mermaid’s Grotto in Onna, Okinawa. The woman pointed to her distressed 11-year-old daughter and a U.S. soldier caught in the rip current. He then assisted the solider by directing him out of the water.
Bourgeau says at some point Takahashi joined in the rescue, but he never saw him.
“I grabbed mom and I grabbed [the girl] and I just kicked for all life,” Bourgeau said. “He’s (Takahashi) a hero. He died trying to save someone else.”
Takahashi’s body was found floating in the water about 1,000 feet offshore, according to NBC News. Police discovered an abandoned rental car at a nearby beach which they determined to have been rented by Takahashi. They then called his family to identify the body.
He had been traveling alone apparently on a snorkeling trip.