特集「キャッチ」“海猿”潜水士へ若き海上保安官が狭き門に挑む

This is our "Catch" feature. Among the Coast Guard officers who protect the safety of the seas, the "Sea Monkeys" are the "divers" who dive into the ocean to rescue people. We followed a young Coast Guard officer, fueled by a setback from a year ago, as he takes on the arduous task of becoming a "diver." ■Training Scene "Pull! We're lowering you!" "Prepare for search! We'll do it this way!" A tense atmosphere hangs in the air on a Japan Coast Guard patrol boat. ■Training Scene "What are you going to do if we let you go? Let go of the rope! Consider the situation!" At times, angry shouts fly. The reason for repeated, rigorous training is to save lives, no matter how difficult the situation. One young Coast Guard officer, determined to become the diver he aspires to be, puts his life on the line on the front lines, continues to take on the challenge. Yasunori Nagano (23), a member of the Fukuoka Coast Guard Office, is in his fifth year of service and a crew member of the patrol vessel Muromi. The Muromi is a designated diving vessel, one of 22 in the 11 Japan Coast Guard Headquarters nationwide, and one of only three in the 7th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters, which has jurisdiction over northern Kyushu and western Yamaguchi Prefecture. It is staffed by divers, specialists in maritime rescue. Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, Nagano hopes to one day try on the orange wetsuit that is the badge of a diver. ■Japan Coast Guard Officer Yasunori Nagano (23) "It's so cool just looking at it here, and having your name engraved on the back and a custom-fitted wetsuit made to your exact measurements makes it even cooler." Japan Coast Guard divers are heading out to investigate a ship that ran aground and sank off the coast of Tsushima. As of this month, there are currently 121 divers nationwide. Divers are authorized to dive to depths of 40 meters and are involved in rescue and search operations. This represents just 0.8% of all Japan Coast Guard officers. Enduring the harsh conditions requires both physical and mental toughness. To become a certified diver, one must undergo two months of rigorous "diving training" at the Japan Coast Guard Academy in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, and then pass a national exam. Only those who pass the selection process, held once a year by each Japan Coast Guard Headquarters, are eligible to participate. Nagano, who works on the patrol vessel Muromi of the Fukuoka Coast Guard Office, was preparing for the selection process for the 7th Regional District. He devotes his time to training between work and on his days off. The selection process involves physical tests such as swimming and shuttle runs, as well as an interview. Last year, eight people took the exam, and only three passed. Nagano, who started swimming at age five and competed in national championships three years in a row during high school, decided to aim to become a diver because he thought he could put his honed swimming skills to better use in his work. However, when he first tried out for the selection process last year, he was unable to pass. ■Nagano "How did you feel last time? I was absolutely thrilled. I was absolutely certain I'd passed. I was shocked. I thought I'd passed and I thought I'd become a diver. That made me realize that becoming a diver isn't easy, so I got serious about training." After experiencing setbacks, Nagano had a challenge to overcome. He started by hanging from a table, doing pull-ups. At last year's selection process, he managed 22, below the average for test takers. Since then, he's been working hard for a year, setting himself the goal of doing at least 150 pull-ups a day, in an effort to overcome his fear of them. Senior divers have been watching his dedicated efforts closely. ■Senior diver Yuki Matsuo (26) "I see you doing muscle training on a daily basis. I believe I'll pass if I take the selection test in my current condition, so I hope you keep up the good work." November 30th was the day of the actual selection test. ■Nagano "I'm so nervous I'm pounding. (Q. What's your goal for pull-ups?) I'll aim for 30. Of course, my goal is to pass, and I think it would be best if I could pass with the highest score in all events, so I'll work hard to achieve that." This year, eight young Coast Guard officers between the ages of 21 and 26 will compete in the selection test. First up will be Nagano's specialty event: swimming. Their 300-meter crawl time will be measured. Nagano was the fastest participant, finishing in approximately 3 minutes and 30 seconds, according to his watch, beating the second-place finisher by several dozen seconds. ■Nagano "Swimming is my only forte, so I have to do it." Awaiting me in the afternoon was the pull-ups, where I ended up with a disappointing result last year. Will I be able to show the results of my year's hard work? My goal is 30 pull-ups. He started off strong, but as he neared 20, his expression gradually became mo...