On July 7, 2022, Kazuki Takahashi died, shocking the anime and TCG communities.

Officials found that he drowned at the time of his death.

However, a recent story from the US military's publication has revealed more information that were not revealed following his death, shocking admirers even more.

A "US Army officer recognized for rescuing three persons from a riptide at a prominent Okinawa diving area in an event that supposedly killed a well-known Japanese manga artist," according to an article on Stars & Stripes, the Department of Defense's news service.

The piece praised Kazuki Takahashi's bravery.

Major Robert Bourgeau has been recommended for the Soldier's Medal for his conduct on July 4 at Mermaid's Grotto in Onna, Okinawa, Japan.

According to reports, the 49-year-old noticed three swimmers, two Japanese civilians, and a fellow US soldier battling in a perilous riptide. He ran to save him while "still wearing his jogging shoes."

It was later reported that a woman and her daughter were pulled into the 2-meter waves, at which point Bourgeau grabbed the two and "just kicked for the rest of my life."

While the riptide was severe, six-foot waves slammed amid it, swiftly generating a vortex effect and drawing in the trapped swimmers, according to the outlet.

READ ALSO: Kim Kardashian Is Forced To 'Open Her Wallet' After Kanye West's Recent Attacks

Bourgeau, a certified scuba diving instructor, was able to pull both civilians to land while also directing the US soldier to safety. He reluctantly admitted, however, that he couldn't return for the soldier since he was too fatigued to risk his own life in the waves.

"That was one the hardest things I have ever had to do, I let [the man] go so I could save myself."

But later on, a few witnesses by the Army said that Kazuki Takahashi jumped in to help Bourgeau where onlookers only "caught glimpses of him until he disappeared underneath the waves."

According to the newly-awarded major, he called the official manga hit "Yu-Gi-Oh" creator a "hero."

"He died trying to save someone else."

The next day, the Japanese Shore Guard discovered the anime creator's body drifting off the coast of Nago in northern Okinawa.

His vehicle was also found parked near Mermaid's Grotto.

Kazuki Takahashi was born on October 4, 1961, and first became known as a manga artist in the 1980s. Still, it wasn't until 1996 that he achieved international acclaim with the narrative of a spiky-haired youngster who challenges his opponents to magical duels.

READ MORE: Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Flavin Second Chance: Couple's Marriage Fixed All Because of THIS

Tags: kazuki takahashi yu-gi-oh