Japanese surfer kills self in Catanduanes

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Philippines—“Don’t look (for) me, I’m dead.”

These were the cryptic, last words a Japanese surfer left in an apparent suicide note before he jumped to his death at a beach resort in Puraran, Baras, Catanduanes Thursday morning, police said Friday.

Shanichi Imamura, 38, of Kagoshima, Japan, died at the provincial hospital here while being treated for multiple injuries sustained when he jumped from the third floor of the Puraran Beach Resort building in Baras, about 30 km from this capital town, said Senior Supt. Lito Pitallano, the provincial police director.

The note, which was turned over by the resort owner, Cecilia Soria, to the police, was written by Imamura to his mother. Earlier, witnesses at the resort said the Japanese reportedly spoke of death threats against him, and was worried he would be killed if he went back to Japan.

Soria told the police that Imamura talked with her at the canteen before going upstairs to the third floor from where he jumped at about 9:30 a.m.

She added that Imamura, an avid surfer, had been in and out of the country for several years and had been renting the only room on the third floor of the resort, also for several years now.

Imamura would normally come to Baras during the surfing season, which is from July to September, and the police were still trying to find out why he came early this time.

According to Pitallano, investigators learned that the Japanese national also tried to drown himself in the waters off Puraran the day before he died but was rescued by residents.

Puraran is home to the so-called Majestic Surf, popular among professional surfers from Japan, Australia and Europe.

Five surfers have already died in Puraran since the early 90’s due to drowning and surfing accidents.