Skip to main content

University Professor Given Commendation for Saving Family of Five from Fire While Out Running

On June 24 the Fire Department of Kawanishi, Hyogo, awarded local resident Fukuzo Yoshida, 59, with a commendation for rescuing a family of five from a fire. A serious amateur runner who runs 450 km a month and has won his age group at the Osaka Marathon, Yoshida said, "The physical fitness I've maintained gave me the strength to do it."

The fire broke out at around 7:00 a.m. on May 7 in a two-story wooden house in the Tadain neighborhood of Kawanishi. Yoshida, a coach with his university's track team, noticed smoke coming from the house while out for his morning run. Seeing three people including a child on the house's balcony, Yoshida stopped and directed them to use a rainwater drain pipe to climb down from the second floor. When they safely got to ground level Yoshida entered the house with a key he received from one of them and helped two people trapped inside to escape to safety.

Yoshida helped rescue all five people about 8 minutes before the fire department arrived. Area Fire Department chief Makoto Tajiri commented, "Thanks to him firefighters were able to focus their efforts on the blaze as soon as they arrived, and the amount of damage it caused was minimized."

Receiving his commendation, Yoshida said, "In my running, I still want to improve my marathon time. In my life, this has taught me that it's important to know your escape route at home just like you would in a hotel."

source article:
https://www.kobe-np.co.jp/news/hanshin/202006/0013451788.shtml
translated by Brett Larner

Buy Me A Coffee

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Matsumoto Marathon Canceled After Fraudulently Hiding Past Financial Losses

On Apr. 23 the city government of Matsumoto, Nagano announced that it was canceling this fall's Matsumoto Marathon after discovering accounting fraud in the event's operation. "We are going to conduct a review of how the race has been conducted up to now," a statement from the city read. Mayor Yoshinao Gaun apologized at a press conference, saying, "We sincerely apologize for letting down everyone involved in putting the event together." The Matsumoto Marathon is run by an executive committee made up of representatives from the city, the Matsumoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Shinano Mainichi Newspaper, and the relevant track and field associations. According to city officials, financial records for the November, 2023 edition of the race were fraudulently manipulated. Income from participants' entry fees was lower than expected, and although the city managed to get the Shinano Mainichi, to which it had outsourced overall event management, to r...
Post a Comment
Read more

Australian Male Arrested on Drug Smuggling Charges After Entering Japan for Osaka Marathon

On Apr. 9 the Kinki Region Bureau of Health, Labor and Welfare's Drug Control Division arrested Matthew Inglis Fox , 38, an Australian business owner of no known fixed address, on charges of violating the importation regulations of the Narcotics Control Act by smuggling tablets containing marijuana elements from the United States. The suspect had entered Japan in February to run in the Osaka Marathon . The suspect was arrested on suspicion of smuggling approximately 12 pills containing marijuana by sending them from a U.S. airport to Osaka's Kansai Airport using an international courier service on Feb. 19. The Osaka branch of the Customs Service discovered the tablets in arriving cargo and suspected them to be narcotics. Customs contacted the Narcotics Control Division, which then began its investigation of the case. According to the Narcotics Control Division, the suspect denies the charges.  Translator's note: Fox, who received a lifetime ban from the Ageo City Half Mara...
2 comments
Read more

Nyiva and Wolde Win Gifu Seiryu Half

Two good races happened Sunday at the Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon . The women's race was a head-to-head race between 2022 marathon world champion Gotytom Gebreslase and debuting Japan-based Janet Nyiva . Side-by-side through 15 km, Nyiva shattered Gebreslase with a massive surge over the last 5 km that ultimately put 52 second between them, Nyiva wining in 1:07:37 and Gebreslase next in 1:08:29. 2023 Asian marathon champion Eunice Chebichii Chumba held off the up-and-coming Kana Kobayashi , a member of Japan's marathon team for September's Tokyo World Championships, with a 1:09:07 for 3rd. Kobayashi's 1:09:09 for 4th was a PB by almost 5 minutes and the fastest time ever on the rolling Gifu course by a Japanese woman. Yumi Yoshikawa was 5th in 1:10:51. Five men went out front on mid-59 pace. Dawit Wolde , debuting Kiprono Sitonik , Vincent Yegon and veteran Bedan Karoki all took turns leading, with only Richard Kimunyan tucking in and declining to share the load. ...
Post a Comment
Read more