Man in 30s Rescues Father and Daughter Swept Out to Sea on Surfboard

The good deed of a man in his 30s who rescued a father and daughter on the verge of drowning after being swept away by waves in the seas of Jeju, where he was visiting on vacation, has been belatedly revealed.

According to the Jeonju Facility Management Corporation in North Jeolla Province today (September 22), Lee Dong-gyu (38), an employee at the Jeonju Seunghwawon, heard a scream crying out, "Save me," coming from the open sea while taking a break at Hamdeok Beach in Jeju on September 15.

Upon looking toward the sea, Lee spotted a middle-aged man and a young woman struggling against the waves about 100 meters away from the shore. He immediately asked people nearby to call 119 and jumped into the water with a surfboard.

At the time, the father was in a critical condition, exhausted and sinking into the water. Lee first pulled the man onto the board and then rescued the woman, who was staying afloat using survival swimming.

He reassured the father and daughter by telling them, "It is safe because we have a surfboard," but as the man's breathing and consciousness worsened to the point where waiting for rescue workers was difficult, Lee swam back to the shore himself while having both of them ride the surfboard.

When Lee and the father and daughter arrived at the sandy beach in a state of exhaustion, an 119 emergency rescue team dispatched to the scene took over the father and daughter and urgently transferred them to a hospital.

It was understood that the father had been swimming with his daughter at the time of the accident when they were stranded after being swept away by currents and waves.

Lee's good deed became known after the father, who safely recovered his health, posted a message of gratitude on the corporation's website bulletin board titled "I want to praise."

The father wrote, "My daughter and I were in a desperate situation where we could not escape on our own, but thanks to Lee's courageous action, we saved our lives," adding, "I want to convey my grateful heart, which I could not properly express at the time due to being flustered."

Lee stated, "The moment I heard the scream, I had no other thoughts, only that I had to save them first," and added, "I am just glad that both of them are safe."

The Jeonju Facility Management Corporation plans to award a commendation to honor Lee's good deed.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.