Deadly 'Swell Waves' Strike Without Warning: Fatalities Surge

[Anchor]

For those heading to the beach in this hot weather, please be cautious of swell waves. These waves can strike the shore even on clear days, and once swept away, it is extremely difficult to escape. Recently, three people lost their lives to swell waves on the east coast in a single day.

Reporter Cho Jae-geun has the story.

[Reporter]

Early in the morning, three people are seen walking along the beach, taking photos.

Moments later, one person suddenly falls into the water, and shortly after, another is dragged into the sea.

Although the Coast Guard and 119 rescue teams managed to pull both individuals from the water, one person ultimately passed away.

Nine hours later, just 4 km away, a person in their 40s enjoying kayaking was swept away by a swell. An hour and a half after that, another tourist was swept away and died at a nearby beach.

In just one day, three people lost their lives to swell waves.

Swell waves are generated when low-pressure systems pass through the open sea, and they can reach the shore even on clear, windless days.

Unlike ordinary waves, which have short periods, swell waves have long periods of 8 seconds or more and wavelengths reaching 100 – 200 meters. This means they carry much greater energy than ordinary waves of the same height.

[Kim In-ho / Professor, Department of Earth Environmental System Sciences, Kangwon National University: Ordinary waves are affected by the seafloor topography, which reduces their energy. However, long-period waves (swells) reach the coast directly without any energy reduction, causing their impact to increase significantly.]

When swells reach the shore, multiple waves can overlap, causing the wave height to increase further. In particular, many areas along the east coast have water that suddenly becomes deep, making it very difficult to escape once swept away.

[Lee Byung-ju / Officer, Donghae Regional Coast Guard: Even for rescue divers, it can be difficult to swim in swell waves without equipment. Because the body lacks buoyancy, it is challenging. Therefore, we urge tourists to always wear life jackets...]

Most beaches along the east coast of Gangwon Province do not have safety personnel stationed until they officially open next month, requiring extra caution from visitors.

(Video reporting: Kim Dae-chul, Design: Lee Jong-jung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.