Five families hold funeral rites for Ehime Maru victims
| • | Special report: Collision at Sea |
By Tanya Bricking
Advertiser Staff Writer
After eight months and a $60 million recovery effort, bodies have been found for all but one of the victims of the submarine crash that killed nine aboard the Ehime Maru.
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Five victims' families who had traveled from Japan left Honolulu yesterday after funeral rites.
The remains of 37-year-old teacher Hiroshi Makizawa were identified through DNA testing.
Four families remain. Two will receive bodies of loved ones, including Mika Makizawa, whose husband, 37-year-old teacher Hiroshi Makizawa, was identified yesterday through dental records.
Two more families await identification of the eighth body found, hoping it is their son.
In Washington, D.C., the cost of the tragedy is detailed in a claim against the federal government. Lt. Cmdr. Neil Sheehan, a family liaison, said he could not talk about the claim, but it would be handled by the office of the judge advocate general admiralty division, which has jurisdiction over accidents on the high seas.
"It's not a lawsuit," he said. "If the government did wrong, anybody would have to file a claim against the government first. You first have to file a claim and try and negotiate. If we can't come to terms, and a negotiated settlement couldn't be done, then it leads to potential lawsuits."
The Navy has offered as much as $1 million each to compensate the victims' families, said Masumi Terata, who was told her 17-year-old son, Yusuke, was presumed swept to sea when the Ehime Maru went down. She said money would not bring satisfaction, but having her son's body would be a step toward finding peace.
Navy divers still hope to ease her pain.
"The divers out there, including myself, would like to see this through," said Capt. Christopher Murray, who is supervising 66 divers living on the recovery barge during the monthlong search. "We're glad that we've helped some families somewhat, but we would like to see 100 percent."
In the nearly two weeks since the Ehime Maru was towed to a depth safe enough for divers to search, the team has made about 200 dives. They have searched about 65 percent of the ship and will have their first full day of rest tomorrow.
They will continue searching today and begin bringing up nets and other potential hazards to wildlife as the recovery effort continues Monday. Once the search is complete, the Ehime Maru will be towed 12 miles out to settle at a depth of more than 6,000 feet.
The recovery team already has had more success than it hoped. The Navy originally expected to find seven bodies at most, based on accounts from 26 survivors about where victims were last seen.
"If anything, it just pumped them up more as far as the drive to continue and get 100 percent," Murray said. "They felt good when they found seven. But they're all out there. They're very motivated to getting 100 percent. And they want to finish this for the families."
The five families who headed back to Japan issued a statement thanking people in Hawai'i for their kindness and prayers. They also thanked volunteers, the Japanese consulate, divers and others.
"We would like to express our feelings of appreciation of those who were so kind to us while we were here," the families said. "When we were so saddened after the accident, many people helped and supported us."
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly described the means by which Hiroshi Makizawa's body was identified.
