Monday, April 11, 2011

#Japan #Tsunami: The Boat That Made It Out

Susumu Sugawara and his boat "Sunflower" ("Himawari" in Japanese), an old passenger ferry, rode out the tsunami waves and survived to tell the story.

From CNN (4/3/2011):

Then the first wave came. Sugawara says he is used to seeing waves up to 5 meters high but this was four-times that size.

"My feeling at this moment is indescribable," he says with glistening eyes. "I talked to my boat and said you've been with me 42 years. If we live or die, then we'll be together, then I pushed on full throttle."

"Here was my boat and here was the wave," he says, holding one hand low and the other stretched high above his head. "I climbed the wave like a mountain. When I thought I had got to the top, the wave got even bigger."

Hats off to the captain.


2 comments:

netudiant said...

Japan has much better people than government.
It is the strength of the ordinary Japanese such as Mr Sugawara which will allow the country to survive this disaster, despite the muddled corporate and government leadership.

Anonymous said...

"I--think--I--can, I--think--I--can."


I love this guy! I always find myself patting my dashboard when my little beater "Bonnie" climbs a snow covered hill I didn't think she'd make. I can't imagine the pride he has for his "Sunflower".

From what I've read he ran for his boat instead of the hills because he knew it would be a lifeline for his isolated community and he had to save her. He's been running relief supplies and people ever since his adventure. I want to see the movie of this story.

Detailed story:

http://www.japan.org/tags/susumu-sugawara

"I thought I could, I thought I could."

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