80-Year-Old Missing Amid Heatwave Warning Found Dead in Pepper Field Near Home

An elderly person in their 80s was found collapsed and dead in a pepper field in Chunghwa-myeon, Buyeo-gun, South Chungcheong Province, at 5:31 PM on the 5th.

According to police and fire authorities who were dispatched after receiving a missing person report, Mr. A (80) was already deceased at the scene.

It was reported that a Buyeo County office official, who makes safety check-in calls to elderly people living alone, was unable to reach Mr. A for about a day and called Mr. A's child to notify them of the situation.

A police official stated, "It appears that Mr. A collapsed after going out to work in the garden near the home despite the heatwave warning," adding, "Whether the death was caused by a heat-related illness has not yet been confirmed."

On that day, the highest temperature in Buyeo rose to 35.4°C (96°F), and the highest perceived temperature reached 35.5°C (96°F).

If South Chungcheong Province ultimately concludes that Mr. A died from a heat-related illness, the number of heat-related deaths in the province will increase to 5.

Previously, a total of four people have died from heat-related illnesses, including one in Cheonan on July 12 and three in Dangjin on the 2nd to 3rd of this month.

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