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Two 24-year-old men filming a comedy video for a friend's wedding ceremony, were swept out to sea in Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, on Sunday afternoon. Police said the two men remained missing on Monday morning.
According to police, the incident occurred near Akashi Seaside Park just after 3 p.m. Sunday. The two men and seven friends had come to the pier to film a video of pranks for their friend's upcoming wedding, TBS reported. The two men had stripped down to their underwear. One was riding a bike and the other was on a kick scooter when they fell off the pier and were apparently engulfed by an ocean swell, police said.
By the time a search and rescue team arrived, there was no sign of the men.
At the time of the incident, the local meteorological observatory had issued a warning for strong winds and powerful waves.
© Japan Today
17 Comments
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shonanbb
Someone who cannot swim is not allowed in the swim only lanes. So it is difficult to find space for seriously teaching someone to swim here. Schools do a terrible job of it.
Robert: Yes I can swim and in very cold water. I am a surfer. Was in last weekend for the most recent. No gloves, no booties, but a wet suit. The water gets in, but you grin and bear it. Bathing suit underneath. Often lower the top of the wet suit at the end of a session for a refreshing swim. You would be surprised at how much cold you can tolerate.
But, thee guys in underwear in rough seas probably could not swim well, or they could have come ashore from where they were. I am an ocean person.
Recently for the past month, there have been karate groups in Gi for over an hour at a time doing their thing in the water down at Shonan It can be done.
Fadamor
Getting immersed in ocean water at Winter temperatures can drown you in a second. I was on a ship working to secure a broken sea door in heavy swells when a wave came up over the transom and poured down on me. The shock of the cold water caused an involuntary sharp intake of breath. If I hadn't been facing downwards to secure the door, that breath would have been nothing but seawater. I CAN swim and I can say that I probably wouldn't have survived in these two people's place - especially in nothing but underwear. The cold water locks-up your muscles very rapidly if you haven't warmed-up prior to immersion.
Robert Dykes
'Probably could not swim either" You have never been swimming in cold water have you. I jumped in a river once that was MUCH colder than I was expected. I could literately feel the blood leaving my arms and legs and rushing to my chest. I could barely move my arms or legs and could barely swim. I had to fight ten times harder than I was expecting against a weak current. Panic comes quickly. I can pretty much promise you the ocean today in Hyogo was MUCH colder than that river I jumped in and the ocean currents and waves were MUCH stronger than a barely moving river I jumped in. Not to mention they were in their underwear.
Wc626
You dont say. . . . Stripped to their underwear?? Strong winds, power waves? Freak accidents could happen to anyone. Sometimes or usually common sense should prevail.
Mocheake
Even if they knew how to swim, the chance of surviving for more than a few minutes in water so cold is pretty low. RIP.
Monozuki
Needless to say, there are serious concerns for missing guys' safety. Although I don't know when they would hold their wedding ceremony, I wonder whether they would celebrate the wedding as previously arranged. Chances are very high that they have to postpone their wedding plan for some time. Shoot! This isn't the best time to talk about this. Yeah, I may have worried unnecessarily about this. More than that, searching for missing guys is number-one priority for now. So go easy on me!
Yoshimi Onishi
It's very unlikely that these two young men are alive by now. I wonder what the couple are now going to do about their wedding.
blvtzpk
That makes it even sadder.
Himajin
One was able to reach the breakwater and was going to climb up, but jumped back in to help his friend, and both were swept away.
blvtzpk
RIP, but I have never quite understood the place 'performance pieces' at weddings in Japan. Yes, western weddings have some unique features depending on where you come from, but the 'shows' I see here where people have to execute a routine or get dressed up in some strange outfit have never really sat with me well.
Commodore Shmidlap (Retired)
That's certainly unfortunate. Just trying to do something funny for friends, and then this. My heart goes out to their families.
Alphaape
Very sad that this had to happen. I wonder will the wedding go on? Imagine having to go through the ceremony when it is supposed to be the happiest day of your life with memories of two of your friends dying trying to make somethig for you. That has to weigh on the wedding party very heavily.
Alex Einz
I second that, loads of pools in Tokyo, mostly empty except in middle of summer ( and that only the outdoor ones that get packed ) all pools also have swim only lanes where nobody will bother you . besides, most people I know can swim to some extent , Ocean swell is a different matter and without a suit in this cold.. it wont take long to freeze or shock.
Tokiyo
shonanbb: Civic centers have pools with lanes dedicated for serious swimming only? On top that, they usually aren't that crowded. Or are you basing this statement off those viral images that resurface every summer?
shonanbb
Probably could not swim either. THis is an island country, but so many cannot swim, as it is so hard to find a pool to learn in without 10 zillion people in it at the same time with goggles, head covering and huge tubes.
quercetum
Nature has a sick sense of humor...