Yu-Gi-Oh! creator died trying to rescue people from drowning

We were all taken by surprise by the news of the death of Kazuki Takahashi, creator of the popular Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, last July 2022. New information has come to light about the tragedy; according to a U.S. military magazine, Takahashi died trying to rescue others from drowning.

Kazuki Takahashi, creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!, died trying to rescue other people from drowning

As reported by Stars and Stripes, the official news service of the United States Army, the circumstances of Kazuki Takahashi's death in July 2022 have been clarified.

Major Robert Bourgeau of the U.S. Army was at the Mermaid Grotto in the town of Onna on the Japanese island of Okinawa on July 4, 2022. Bourgeau spotted three people in distress in rough water due to bad weather and, being a diving instructor, jumped into the water without thinking. Takahashi was in the area, and, according to U.S. Army personnel under affidavit, the mangaka also entered the water to help.

This was the last time Kazuki Takahashi was seen alive; his body was found with scuba gear two days later in Nago, several kilometers northeast of Onna town. Takahashi was 60 years old.

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Meanwhile, the rescue of the three people Bourgeau sighted ended bittersweetly; the Major was able to rescue a woman and her daughter, but was unable to save the life of the third person involved in the event, another 39-year-old U.S. soldier. "I grabbed mom and I grabbed [the girl] and I just kicked for all life," Bourgeau stated. He added that he went back for this third person, but was unable to save her because he ran out of strength and had to abandon him to avoid drowning himself as well. "That was one the hardest things I have ever had to do, I let [the man] go so I could save myself."

About Kazuki Takahashi, Bourgeau stated that "he's a hero". Major Robert Bourgeau has been nominated for the U.S. Army's Soldier's Medal for "acts of heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy."

Kazuo Takahashi was born on October 4, 1961, in Tokyo, Japan. Known professionally as Kazuki Takahashi, his most famous work is Yu-Gi-Oh! This 1996 manga has had a multitude of sequels, adaptations, and merchandising, including the popular card game based on the successive manga and anime series and currently managed by Konami. The death of its creator left orphaned thousands of fans around the world.

Source | Stars and Stripes