Father and Daughter Swept Away by Waves Saved by Man in His 30s on Surfboard

The good deed of a man in his 30s who rescued a father and daughter on the verge of drowning in the Jeju sea while visiting on vacation has come to light belatedly.

According to the Jeonju Facilities Management Corporation in North Jeolla Province on September 22, Lee Dong-gyu, 38, an employee at the Jeonju Seungpyowon crematorium, heard screams for help coming from the open sea while taking a break at Hamdeok Beach in Jeju City on September 15.

Spotting the direction of the sea, Lee discovered 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 exhausted and sinking into the water in a critical condition. 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, "You are safe because we have a surfboard." However, as the father's breathing and level of consciousness deteriorated to the point where they could not wait for the rescue team, Lee put both of them on the surfboard and swam back to the shore himself.

When Lee and the father and daughter reached the sandy beach in an exhausted state, dispatched 119 paramedics took over the pair and urgently transferred them to a hospital.

It was determined that the father had been swimming with his daughter at the time of the accident when they were swept away and stranded 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 website's "Compliments" board.

The father wrote, "My daughter and I were in a desperate situation where we could not escape on our own, but thanks to Mr. 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 the chaotic situation."

Lee said, "The moment I heard the screams, without any other thoughts, my only thought was that I had to save them," and added, "I am just glad that both of them are safe."

The Jeonju Facilities 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.