Disaster in Japan: Man is rescued 10 miles out to sea

This is the remarkable moment a tsunami survivor was rescued from the roof of his house - which had been swept 10 miles out to sea.

Terrified Hiromitsu Shinkawa, 60, spent two days adrift in the ocean after monstrous waves engulfed the town where he lived. He tried desperately to attract the attention of helicopters and passing ships - but nobody saw him.

Rescuers eventually spotted him clinging to a piece of roof from his destroyed two-bedroom home, waving a home-made red flag. He was plucked to safety yesterday by Japan's maritime self-defense force and quickly hugged his rescuers. The retired construction worker was taken to hospital and later gave medics a dramatic account of his miraculous rescue.

Hiromitsu, from the devastated town of Minamisoma, said: "I ran away after learning that the tsunami was coming. But I turned back to pick up something at home and was washed away. I was rescued while I was hanging to the roof from my house. I was saved by holding on to the roof, but my wife was swept away." When handed a bottle of water, Hiromitsu drank it before bursting into tears.

He told medics: "No helicopters or boats that came nearby noticed me. I thought today was the last day of my life."

His dramatic rescue was a rare glimpse of good news following Friday's mammoth quake. 

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