How a reporter defied tsunami odds

In this March 11, 2011 photo released by the Kamaishi Port Office via Kyodo News. Toya Chiba, a reporter, stands in a surging tsunami at the port city of Kamaishi, northeastern Japan, as the region was struck by a massive earthquake that spawned the tsunami. Chiba, who was shooting photos at the mouth of the Owatari River when the tsunami struck him, survived and found himself only suffering scratches and bruises after being swept away for about 30 meters. Photo: AP
In this March 11, 2011 photo released by the Kamaishi Port Office via Kyodo News. Toya Chiba, a reporter, stands in a surging tsunami at the port city of Kamaishi, northeastern Japan, as the region was struck by a massive earthquake that spawned the tsunami. Chiba, who was shooting photos at the mouth of the Owatari River when the tsunami struck him, survived and found himself only suffering scratches and bruises after being swept away for about 30 meters. Photo: AP
In this March 11, 2011 photo released by the Kamaishi Port Office via Kyodo News. Toya Chiba, a reporter, stands in a surging tsunami at the port city of Kamaishi, northeastern Japan, as the region was struck by a massive earthquake that spawned the tsunami. Chiba, who was shooting photos at the mouth of the Owatari River when the tsunami struck him, survived and found himself only suffering scratches and bruises after being swept away for about 30 meters. Photo: Reuters
In this March 11, 2011 photo released by the Kamaishi Port Office via Kyodo News. Toya Chiba, a reporter, stands in a surging tsunami at the port city of Kamaishi, northeastern Japan, as the region was struck by a massive earthquake that spawned the tsunami. Chiba, who was shooting photos at the mouth of the Owatari River when the tsunami struck him, survived and found himself only suffering scratches and bruises after being swept away for about 30 meters. Photo: Reuters
Toya Chiba, a reporter for local newspaper Iwate Tokai Shimbun, is swept by a tsunami at Kamaishi port, Iwate prefecture which was hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, in this photo taken on March 11, 2011 and released by Kamaishi Port Office via Kyodo. Chiba managed to survive the tsunami by grabbing a dangling rope and climbing onto a coal heap around 8 meters high after being swept away for about 30 meters. Photo: Reuters
Toya Chiba, a reporter for local newspaper Iwate Tokai Shimbun, is swept by a tsunami at Kamaishi port, Iwate prefecture which was hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, in this photo taken on March 11, 2011 and released by Kamaishi Port Office via Kyodo. Chiba managed to survive the tsunami by grabbing a dangling rope and climbing onto a coal heap around 8 meters high after being swept away for about 30 meters. Photo: Reuters

Published Apr 14, 2011

When Japanese reporter Toya Chiba was asked by his paper to investigate the damage caused by the earthquake to the port city of Kamaishi he knew it wasn't going to be just another day at the office. But the intrepid hack could never have guessed just how close to the action he was going to get. This incredible sequence of pictures, taken by a nearby building's CCTV camera, shows Toya's unbelievable escape after he suddenly found himself at the mercy of the raging waters. Toya, a reporter with the Iwate Tokai newspaper, was shooting photos at the mouth of the Owatari River when, without warning, the Tsunami struck washing away everything in its path. At first Toya desperately tried to cling to a telephone box but when that was swept away too he found himself completely at the mercy of the elements. As he was carried helplessly along he narrowly escaped being crushed between cars as they surged past on either side.

Amazingly, despite being up to his neck in the raging torrent of water, the dedicated professional can be seen with his camera raised to his eye, continuing to take pictures. Incredibly he survived with only a few minor cuts and bruises after being swept away for about 30 meters before managing to find a patch of dry ground.