Yu-Gi-Oh creator Kazuki Takahashi died while aiding a rescue

After the saddening death of Yu-Gi-Oh creator Kazuki Takahashi back in July 2022, reports have surfaced claiming that the mangaka died while aiding a rescue. Earlier, the reason for the Yu-Gi-Oh creator’s death was officially reported to be drowning.

However, months after the incident, Stars & Stripes, the US Department of Defence’s news service, stated that Kazuki Takahashi had died while trying to help an Army officer rescue two local civilians and an army officer from a riptide, which was causing them to get pulled into the water.

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Yu-Gi-Oh creator Kazuki Takahashi died trying to save people from drowning

Yu-Gi-Oh creator Kazuki Takahashi (Image via Toei Animation)

Based on a report by Stars & Stripes, Yu-Gi-Oh creator Kazuki Takahashi died while trying to save people from drowning. As part of the rescue, 49-year-old Major Robert Bourgeau was nominated for the Soldier’s Medal from his command last month for his brave actions on July 4, 2022.

The incident took place at Mermaid’s Grotto in the village of Onna, Okinawa. Bourgeau, a diving instructor, was with his students when a Japanese woman called for help to save her 11-year-old daughter and a fellow US soldier.

With his running shoes on, Bourgeau dived into the water to save them both. The moment he grabbed onto the girl, he started swimming back, but then he found the mother to have gotten sucked into the whirlpool as well. He ultimately saved both of them.

After leaving them in shallow water, Bourgeau proceeded to try and save the US soldier, however, he was losing his strength, so he decided to swim back, after which he directed the soldier back to the shore.

Japanese manga artist, Kazuki Takahashi (Image via Shutterstock)

Throughout the incident, Bourgeau hadn’t seen the famous manga creator Kazuki Takahashi, who had jumped into the water to aid him in rescuing the three people.

Apparently, it was Bourgeau’s students who had caught a glimpse of the famous mangaka diving into the tides to help in the rescue. However, he slowly disappeared beneath the waves, only to be found dead two days later, about 1,000 feet offshore in Awa, Nago city. This was reported by a Japan Coast Guard spokesperson via phone to Stars and Stripes on October 4, 2022.

While the spokesperson refused to confirm that Yu-Gi-Oh creator Kazuki Takahashi had died during the same drowning event at Mermaid’s Grotto, the same was confirmed by several witnesses who had seen the mangaka run into the water. The same was later confirmed as Takahashi’s rental car was found at Mermaid’s Grotto.

Yu-Gi-Oh manga volume 1 and cards (Image via Viz Media)

After learning of Kazuki Takahashi’s heroic actions, Major Robert Bourgeau said the famous manga author was a hero who died trying to save someone else.

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