US Airmen Swept to Sea Were Taking Pictures

The story of the three American airmen swept out to sea as Typhoon Phanfone pummeled Okinawa yesterday carries this coda: They "were taking pictures with high waves whipped up by the typhoon in the background," a local police rep tells AFP. They were apparently part of a group taking pictures, adds CNN; a total of four airmen were actually washed out to sea, but one managed to make his way back to shore. One was confirmed dead yesterday, while the other two remain missing. A 21-year-old surfer and a junior high schooler are also missing, as are two people lost in mudslides; some 57 people have been injured due to the storm, and more than 600 flights have been grounded, Yahoo reports. (More typhoon stories.)