KOR
▲ Park Hyung-joo, a 119 rescue team leader, providing first aid to a climber
An off-duty firefighter from the Jeonnam-Gwangju region who climbed Mt. Seoraksan on his day off saved a climber's life by witnessing a fall accident right before his eyes and assisting with everything from first aid to a helicopter evacuation.
On the 2nd, Park Hyung-joo, a 119 rescue team leader at the Gwangju Seobu Fire Station who went on a hike after visiting a temple on Mt. Seoraksan for a pilgrimage, witnessed a climber in their 60s, surnamed A, lose their footing and fall 2 meters down a rock near the Daecheongbong summit marker.
Climber A, who fell hard enough for a dull impact sound to echo across the summit area, was lying face down on the ground and unconscious.
Team Leader Park immediately ran about 10 meters to check A's condition.
It was a critical situation: blood was flowing from A's nose and mouth, parts of the face were cut and scraped, and heavy bleeding continued between the fingers.
As there was no proper first aid equipment at the top of the mountain, Team Leader Park used arm sleeves received from nearby hikers to wrap and stop the bleeding on the wounds, and checked consciousness and breathing conditions along with a nurse who happened to be at the scene.
However, as A regained consciousness but repeatedly vomited and retched while complaining of headaches and drowsiness, Team Leader Park suspected a potential brain injury and determined that a swift helicopter evacuation was necessary.
Maintaining a call with the 119 situation room, Team Leader Park immediately began preparing for the evacuation upon receiving word that military helicopter support was available.
Team Leader Park immediately divided roles, having the nurse continuously monitor A's condition while asking other hikers to support and move the patient from the summit down about 600 meters to a construction site accommodation near the helicopter landing zone.
Even after moving down to the landing zone, Team Leader Park relayed the on-site situation to the military side and even took charge of guiding the helicopter directly.
Thanks to the prompt evacuation, climber A was transferred to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital in Seongnam for emergency surgery and is currently known not to be in critical condition.
Team Leader Park shared on the 4th, "Seeing the accident, my body moved first without any time to think, and as a firefighter, I could not leave the scene until the patient was rescued."
He added, "It wasn't just my doing; a nurse and hikers who happened to be at the scene helped together, and the 119 situation room and the military also responded actively so that the patient could be quickly transferred."
(Photo: Provided by reader, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
