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

Over the summer, Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi was found dead aged 60 in the sea near Nago, Japan.

And now, new details have now emerged about Takahashi's death that paint him as a hero.

Takahashi is believed to have jumped into turbulent waters near one of the area’s popular dive spots on 4 July.

According to IGN, Takahashi was performing a ‘selfless act of heroism’ and leapt into waters in a bid to save three others from a riptide. 

Takahashi had reportedly seen that US Army officer, Maj. Robert Bourgeau, was trying to rescue the trio from choppy waters and jumped in to help - although this was unbeknownst to Bourgeau at the time. 

Several witnesses say they saw glimpses of Takahashi in the water until he disappeared beneath the waves. 

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Takahashi’s body was found two days later around 1,000 feet offshore, while his rental car was located at Mermaid's Grotto.

Speaking to military news website Stars and Stripes, Bourgeau - who this month was recognised for his part in the rescue - said: “The conditions were really, really rough.”

He added: “He's a hero. He [Takahashi] died trying to save someone else.”

Bourgeau himself had seen a Japanese woman calling for help back in July. The woman pointed to a rip current about 100 yards from the shore, in which her 11-year-old daughter and a 39-year-old US soldier were trapped.  

Bourgeau said the snorkelers were being sucked out by the current but then had incoming, six-foot waves crash over them.

Bourgeau and one of his students made their way to the trio through shallow water as another student called the emergency services. 

“I grabbed mum and I grabbed [the girl] and I just kicked for all life,” Bourgeau shared.

Public broadcaster NHK covered Takahashi’s death at the time, saying his floating body was reported to the Japan Coast Guard at around 10:30am local time.

Emergency services rushed to the scene but he was pronounced dead.

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A coast guard told NHK that a car rented by Takahashi had been left unattended on a farm road near the beach in Onna village, about 12km away from the site where his body was found.

The coast guard added that there were no noticeable injuries to his body and his cause of death was under investigation.

An autopsy later confirmed Takahashi died by drowning.

Takahashi's Yu-Gi-Oh! manga originally ran in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine between 1996 to 2004 and the franchise is still going strong to this day.

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