3 students confirmed dead after being swept out to sea off southwestern Japan

Three students were confirmed dead on Saturday after being swept out to sea off Kagoshima Prefecture in southwestern Japan, according to the Japan Coast Guard. The victims were identified as Haruki Shitaebisu, 17, his brother Kensei, 13, and Takahiro Takemoto, 14. The tragic incident occurred the previous day when two students found themselves in difficulty in the sea off Ichikikushikino.

In an attempt to rescue them, two others reportedly jumped from rocks into the water, but all four were swept out to sea, as reported by the coast guard. Fortunately, one of the four, a 12-year-old junior high school student, was rescued soon after. A fifth student, who had not been swept away, called for help. Initially, the coast guard had declared the area off-limits for swimming, but later corrected the information, stating that swimming is allowed in the region. Waves were notably high at the time of the incident.