More than a decade after the 2011 tsunami that devastated japan, Yasuo Takamatsu continues his quest to find the remains of his wife, Yuko. Takamatsu has been dedicated to this search in order to properly perform the last rites for her.

The search began after the catastrophic disaster struck the Fukushima region on march 11, 2011, which was the fourth most severe tsunami in recorded history, with a magnitude of 9.1. The tragedy claimed nearly 20,000 lives and left over 2,500 people missing.

Since then, Takamatsu has been diving weekly, exploring the waters near the site where Yuko was last seen. Yuko, who worked at a nearby bank, had taken refuge on the building’s roof, but the tsunami waves reached heights of up to 60 feet. Takamatsu has conducted hundreds of dives off Japan’s coast in his relentless search for her remains, with the goal of giving her a proper burial.

Masayoshi Takahashi, a volunteer who cleans up tsunami debris underwater, trained Yasuo in scuba diving. Takahashi, who has experience finding bodies in the aftermath of the tsunami, was seen as a suitable partner for the search.

For nearly ten years, the pair has been searching through the cold waters. Takamatsu found Yuko’s phone in the bank parking lot where she worked months after the disaster, but he has not discovered any other significant remains. The phone contained a final, unsent message from Yuko: “Are you okay? I want to go home.”