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Tragedy Strikes Off Okinawa Coast: Two Dead After Boats Capsize Near Henoko
HENOKO, OKINAWA – A peaceful educational excursion turned tragic on Monday when two boats carrying 21 individuals, including high school students, capsized off the coast of Henoko, a contentious site for a U.S. military base. The incident resulted in the deaths of a 17-year-old female student and the captain of one of the vessels.
According to the Japan Coast Guard, 18 of those on board were students from a Kyoto high school participating in a peace education program, observing the Henoko area. Ten students were aboard the “Heiwa Maru,” with eight on the smaller “Fukutsu.”
Coast Guard rescuers were able to pull all 21 people from the water. However, despite their efforts, the young female student and the captain of the “Fukutsu” were later pronounced dead. Two other individuals sustained injuries, though their conditions are not life-threatening.
The cause of the capsizing remains under investigation. Officials reported that the boats were approximately half a mile east of Henoko when the accident occurred. While a wave advisory was in effect at the time, the water conditions were not considered extremely rough, and there were no indications of a collision between the boats.
Henoko is well-known as a focal point for activists protesting the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, a plan that has been mired in nearly three decades of disputes and lawsuits between Okinawa and Tokyo. Officials clarified that the students involved in the incident were not participating in any protest activities.
Okinawa hosts roughly half of the 50,000 American troops stationed in Japan under a bilateral security pact. The presence of U.S. bases has long been a source of contention for many Okinawans, who voice concerns about potential accidents, noise pollution, environmental impact, and crime.