. >> reporter: hirofumi is the captain of a japan coast guard patrol boat in miyagi prefecture. he searches for missing people ever since the disaster. he's helped recover dozens of bodies. >> translator: the search teams are gradually being scaled down, so people with missing relatives must be losing hope. they want us to keep searching. >> reporter: a memorial service was held in kesennuma on september 11th. onadera was there. he himself has two missing relatives, his mother and his eldest son, yuki. when the earthquake struck, musko and yuki were at home. >> translator: they fled up to that shrine. >> reporter: the two fled to higher ground. but the tsunami swept them away. he remembered his mother and son when he visited the spot where the family's house once stood. >> translator: a ping pong table in the shed reminds me of my son. >> reporter: onadera goes to the same place every time he has a day off. it's a beach nearby. he's been looking for things that belonged to his loved ones. in may, he came across a backpack that his son used in elementary school. onadera says he'l

. >> reporter: hirofumi onadera is the captain of a japan coast guard patrol boat in ket noouma, miyagi prefecture. he's been searching for missing people ever since the disaster. he's helped recover dozens of bodies. >> translator: the search teams are gradually being scaled down, so people with missing relatives must be losing hope. they want us to keep searching. >> reporter: a memorial service was held in kesennuma on september 11th. onodera was there. he himself has two missing relatives. his mother, masuko, and his eldest son, yuki. when the earthquake struck, masuko and yuki were at home. >> translator: they fled up to that shrine. >> reporter: the two fled to higher ground, but the tsunami swept them away. onodera remembered his mother and son when he visited the spot where the family's house once stood. >> translator: a ping-pong table in the shed reminds me of my son. >> reporter: onodera goes to the same place every time he has a day off. it's a beach nearby. he's been looking for things that belonged to his loved ones. in may he came across a backpack that his son used in el