A 45-year-old woman drowned after she tried to rescue her child who had been caught by a big wave in Kikonai town, Hokkaido, on Sunday.
According to police and the fire department, Miyuki Yamamoto, a resident of Hokuto City, was walking along the beach with her child at around 10:30 a.m. when her child got into difficulty after being hit by a wave, NHK reported.
It is believed that Yamamoto was caught in the waves as she pulled her child to safety, and was swept out to sea. A passerby saw the incident and called 119.
Yamamoto was rescued by emergency personnel but she was in a state of cardio-respiratory arrest and was confirmed dead at a hospital.
In another incident in Hokkaido, the Japan Coast Guard received a report that "someone appears to be drowning" at a beach in Otaru City.
According to the Japan Coast Guard, a 27-year-old Vietnamese man who lives in Sapporo City, went missing while swimming. Police and the fire department searched unsuccessfully for him.
