Japanese surfer Hideaki Akaiwa describes harrowing
tale.

Officials today announced that over 10,000 people have died in Japan from the earthquake and Tsunami with 17,000 still missing. However amidst the chaos there are rays of hope and survival. here's one that relates to the surfing community of which Japan is so authentically apart of.

Last week the LA Times reported that a Japanese surfer, 43 year-old Hideaki Akaiwa saved his wife and mother in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami.

At the time of the disaster Akaiwa was at work a few miles from his coastal town. He then returned to find that his neighborhood was flooded with 10 feet of water. Withouth hesitation he donned his wetsuit and some scuba gear he found and saw over 200 yards through debris strewn waters to locate his home, where he had last seen his wife of 20 years that he met surfing.

"The water felt very cold, dark and scary," he told the LA Times. "I had to swim about 200 yards to her, which was quite difficult with all the floating wreckage."

The heroism didn't stop there. Four days later, with his mother unaccounted for, Akaiwa ventured back into the frigid waters to fund his mother trapped on the second floor of her home.

"She was very much panicked because she was trapped with all this water around," Akaiwa said. "I didn't know where she was. It was such a relief to find her."

[VIA]