Hideaki Akaiwa

Hideaki Akaiwa (born c. 1968 in Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture, Japan) is recognized as a hero for his actions in the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Akaiwa was at work when the tsunami struck at 2:46 p.m. on March 11, and rushed home to find his neighborhood flooded with up to 10 feet of water.[1] Akaiwa retrieved a wetsuit, waded his way through the debris and underwater hazards, and reached his house, from which he rescued his wife of two decades on March 12, the following day.[2]

With his mother still unaccounted for, Akaiwa repeatedly searched for her at City Hall and nearby evacuation centers. He waded through neck-deep water, searching the neighborhood where she had last been seen. Finally, on March 15, he found her on the second floor of a flooded house where she had been waiting for help for four days.

After rescuing his wife and mother he continued to look for more survivors a week after the massive earthquake and tsunami hit Ishinomaki, for which he was a subject of international press attention[1][2][3] and was profiled at the popular website "Badass of the Week" on March 18, 2011.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 Magnier, Mark (March 17, 2011). "For one quake survivor, self-help in the face of seeming helplessness". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  2. 1 2 Westhead, Rick (March 17, 2011). "The Star in Japan: Hideaki Akaiwa must ‘keep looking’". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  3. ↑ Szalavitz, Maia (March 23, 2011). "Altruism in Action: Japanese Surfer Hero Rescues His Wife, Mother and Others". Time. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  4. ↑ Thompson, Ben. "Hideaki Akaiwa". Retrieved 2 September 2012.


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