RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Masumi Terata, mother of Ehime Maru victim Yusuke
Terata, was overcome with emotion yesterday at a news
conference at the Ala Moana Hotel lobby. She recounted
visiting the site where the Ehime Maru was sunk. She
recalled looking out over the ocean and saying, "Yusuke,
where are you? Mom and Dad have come to take you
home." Behind her is Kazuo Nakata, father of Jun
Nakata, who was a teacher aboard the Ehime Maru.

Recovery of ship
and recovery from pain
are completely different

Relatives of the boat's victims share
the grief that still plagues them

---

By Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.com

Eight months after the Ehime Maru sunk after being struck by a U.S. submarine, Masumi Terata still finds it difficult to talk about the event that claimed her son's life.

Yusuke Terata was a student aboard the Ehime Maru when it was struck Feb. 9 by the USS Greeneville. This week, divers are expected to begin searching the sunken vessel for the remains of the nine people whose bodies were never recovered following the accident.

"My heart is still hurting," a trembling Masumi Terata read from a prepared statement. Her comments were translated by an interpreter.

"We had a peaceful family life," she said. "Ever since the incident occurred, it was shattered."

Terata's husband, Ryosuke, and Kazuo Nakata, the father of another victim, spoke to the media yesterday about the recovery operations of the Ehime Maru.

The Navy completed yesterday the move of the Ehime Maru to a shallow-water recovery site near Honolulu Airport.

Some of the victims' families were taken to the accident site Saturday to observe the fishing vessel dragged from its resting place.

"The wide ocean that swallowed up my son, I can't help but feel a lot of resentment toward the ocean," she said as she broke down in tears.

"We can't help but think of his smiling face ... always cheerful," she said. "I know it's an impossible task, but I just want to see my son again and talk to him again."

Ryosuke thanked the Navy and Hawaii residents for their monetary help to assist the victims' families who were affected by the collision.

Eight months after the collision occurred, Ryosuke said, "The families still wonder why it happened."

Through an interpreter, Nakata said he appreciates the Navy's efforts for moving the Ehime Maru from its resting place and is hopeful that the vessel will surface from the ocean's waters.

"It's going to be a while before we can search in the vessel. I'm glad to know we're almost there," said Nakata, whose son, Jun, was one of the teachers aboard the vessel when it sank.