Residents in Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture, recounted this week a landslide and unsuccessful rescue effort to save a member of their community in the wake of downpours and flooding that left about 200 dead in western Japan.

On Saturday morning, a woman in her 60s heard what sounded like an explosion. She then saw the residential area being swept by mud and some houses pushed into the sea.

"I could not believe it," she said with her voice trembling, adding that she heard her neighbor's daughter frantically calling the name of her father.

Her neighbor, Hidefumi Izumi, 64, was engulfed by a mudslide as he was checking his carp in the pond in his garden.

Sadafumi Taniguchi, a 64-year-old former volunteer firefighter and Izumi's classmate from elementary school, began searching for his longtime friend that day.

As damp and heavy mud made it difficult to dig Izumi out with a shovel, Taniguchi operated heavy equipment in an attempt to find him.

On Monday morning, he finally found a human head after removing concrete blocks at the entrance of Izumi's house. After carefully removing mud and sand, rescuers pulled out the body, which was later confirmed as that of Izumi.

Izumi loved the ocean and fish, and was known for his dedicated service to the local community. His friends and acquaintances say he was a reliable man who cleaned the nearby beach every day.

"He was an earnest man. How come such a good person died in this way?" a neighbor woman said with tears in her eyes.

After retiring from his job at the Uwajima city office, Izumi continued working as a part-timer there. Known by his peers from his school days as being "competent" Izumi helped to organize reunions that were held once every two to three years. He and his classmates were set to meet again in 2020.

"He was very kind," Taniguchi said, remembering how Izumi visited him just several days before his death to give him some fish he caught in return for some sea cucumbers he had given to Izumi.

Last week's devastating rains in western Japan caused a number of landslides and widespread flooding, with dozens still unaccounted for and thousands forced to evacuate to shelters.