"Tetrapods are not built for people to walk on or fish from."

On the 8th, a Korea Coast Guard official squeezed between tetrapods at Daejin Port in Donghae, Gangwon Province, and raised their voice.

The demonstration simulated a situation where a person falls beneath the tetrapods and waits for rescue.

"Help me."

Atop the breakwater, another Coast Guard official checked the readings with a noise meter.

The measurement hovered around 70 decibels (dB).

Mixed with the sounds of passing boats and crashing waves, the voice was instantly drowned out.

Going inside reveals why.

While they appear from the outside to be simply concrete blocks interlocking with one another, the interior is entirely different.

The four legs of the tetrapod extend in all directions, leaving almost no flat surfaces to step on.

Even the slightest movement makes it difficult to maintain balance.

Reaching out an arm to grab something nearby yields few places sturdy enough to pull oneself up.

Seawater, rainwater, or seaweed can make surfaces slippery.

Once a person falls deep into the crevices, the structure makes it extremely difficult to escape alone.

In time for the autumn holiday and leisure season, the Donghae Regional Coast Guard Agency held an on-site demonstration at Daejin Port to raise awareness about the risks of falling and getting trapped in tetrapods and to urge safety precautions.

The event featured fall tests using mannequins, as well as land and sea rescue demonstrations simulating the recovery of individuals trapped between tetrapods and those fallen into the water.

Rescue workers varied their rescue methods depending on the severity of injuries.

While minor injury victims were rescued swiftly, cases suspected of cervical spine injuries were immobilized without arbitrary movement before being carefully extracted.

In marine fall scenarios, coastal rescue boats and rescue divers were deployed to save individuals who had fallen into the water.

Tetrapods are facilities installed to block waves.

Composed of curved and sloped surfaces, they offer narrow footing areas and create deep spaces between the blocks.

This is why they are not designed for people to walk or fish on.

According to the Donghae Regional Coast Guard Agency, a total of 106 tetrapod accidents occurred in the Gangwon and Gyeongbuk regions from 2021 until the 3rd of this month.

Among them, 14 people died.

By region, Gangwon saw 67 accidents resulting in 10 deaths, while Gyeongbuk recorded 39 accidents with 4 fatalities.

On April 10, 2024, at Cheonggok Port breakwater in Donghae, a man in his 50s fishing on a tetrapod fell through the gaps and died.

In December of last year, a man in his 20s moving to fish near the eastern breakwater of Gungchon Port in Samcheok fell between tetrapods, sustaining full-body bruises including fractures.

This past April, a man in his 70s fishing at Wolcheon Port breakwater in Samcheok fell beneath a tetrapod and died.

The Donghae Regional Coast Guard Agency manages certain high-risk tetrapod zones by designating them as restricted entry areas.

In the Gangwon region, two locations are designated as restricted entry areas: the tetrapods at Cheonggok Port breakwater in Donghae and the eastern breakwater of Imwon Port in Samcheok.

Unauthorized entry into restricted zones can lead to fines of up to 1 million won.

Amid recurring tetrapod accidents, the Coast Guard is reviewing additional designations for restricted entry zones while urging active reporting.

Lee Jong-wook, Acting Head of the Donghae Regional Coast Guard Agency, stated, "Tetrapods are not spaces made for people to walk or fish safely," adding, "Do not climb onto tetrapods for fishing or taking photos, and especially never enter restricted entry areas."

He also noted, "Through coastal accident analysis, we are reviewing plans to designate locations with multiple accidents as restricted entry zones, and we ask that you report anyone entering dangerously at any time."