MARK COLVIN: On our special program last night we brought you the story of a Melbourne man missing in the tsunami affected area, Jason Briffa. Tonight he's been found.
Rachel Carbonell reports.
RACHEL CARBONELL: Jason Briffa has been working in the city of Sendai for the past year teaching English. His family hadn't heard from him since the city was struck by the tsunami.
But this afternoon his employer Indurac (phonetic) told the ABC he had been found alive. Denis Cusack is the recruiting manager with the company.
DENIS CUSACK: About three minutes past three I spoke to Jason Briffa. He called in. Obviously the phone lines have been down most of the time since Friday and he was able to get a signal and he called us. His telephone was running low on battery.
But he said that he was at the Murata High School and he's been helping the locals with the clean up for the past two days.
RACHEL CARBONELL: He says Jason Briffa seems well.
DENIS CUSACK: You know he was in good spirits. He said he was, you know when I asked him was he looking after himself and he was very much you know we've got to help out the people here you know. They've had it pretty tough.
But he said he's got water and you know obviously food and things that have been provided to those in the area.
RACHEL CARBONELL: Mr Cusack says he quickly called Jason Briffa's distraught family and then the ABC.
DENIS CUSACK: I called his mother before I called you obviously because I didn't want her to hear that on the, over the radio. And he asked me to pass on the message to his mother because he said he was worried about the signal and his battery running out because there's no electricity there.
RACHEL CARBONELL: Earlier today Jason Briffa's mother Mary told the ABC one of the reasons she was so worried was because her son had diligently called her daily from Japan.
MARY BRIFFA: I spoke to him on Friday about quarter past four before the tsunami. He rang me to tell me he went for a medical and that everything was fine. He was healthy.
And the last thing he said to me was, "Mum I love you. I'll ring you later on tonight." And I didn't get that call. And then I saw the news and I thought oh no, he got killed. I've thought the worst.
RACHEL CARBONELL: She's yet to hear from him personally and remains wary.
MARY BRIFFA: Well I feel quite good. But I'm still not 100 per cent sure until I do hear from my dear son. And I tried to ring him and apparently he's got his phone off now. So I'm going to have to go home and try and ring him on Skype or try some other means.
RACHEL CARBONELL: Jason Briffa's aunt Carmen Bonello says the family is ecstatic but also disappointed that the Australian Government hasn't been more helpful.
CARMEN BONELLO: His boss called Mary and said that he is fine and he's been helping out in the area with all the rescue and everything else. And his phone is dead and he hasn't been able to get in contact with anyone.
RACHEL CARBONELL: So how are you feeling about that news?
CARMEN BONELLO: Over the moon! Absolutely fantastic.
RACHEL CARBONELL: It's been a horrible time waiting hasn't it?
CARMEN BONELLO: It certainly has. It really, really has. I can't believe that it has taken this long to find any information. And believe me it's not because of the Government has done anything about it, nothing. I could say they have not done a single thing the, you know, Foreign Affairs, nothing.
RACHEL CARBONELL: Family members say they're upset because they've been unable to get much information from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade other than that Jason Briffa has not been on the list of people confirmed as safe.
MARK COLVIN: Rachel Carbonell.
As Stephen McDonell was saying there may be many, many people in the area who can't get through, just haven't got communications, so let's hope that Jason Briffa is the first of many Japanese and Australian missing but who turn up.
The full story...
Melbourne man found after Japan tsunami
Rachel Carbonell reported this story on Monday, March 14, 2011 18:38:00
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