[Anchor]

An elementary school student was found dead after playing in water at the Hantan River this afternoon. The child is presumed to have entered the water with friends after finishing school.

Here is a report by reporter An Huijae.

[Reporter]

Rescue workers aboard a boat search the river.

[Position the ambulance toward the exit point of the victim for a prompt response...]

Emergency services received a report at around 3:10 PM today that children had fallen into the water at the Hantan River in Jeongok-eup, Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi Province.

While six of the seven elementary school students managed to escape safely, a sixth-grader identified as A was nowhere to be seen.

Drone equipment and around 30 firefighters were deployed for an urgent search, and student A was found in a state of cardiac arrest about 30 minutes later, roughly 400 meters away from the spot where he entered the water.

Although emergency crews administered first aid and rushed him to the hospital, he ultimately passed away.

Student A and his companions, who attend the same school, reportedly entered the water together after finishing classes in the afternoon.

[School Official: The children shouted for help, and a passerby heard their voices and called authorities. The reason police were able to definitively confirm that he was swept away is because an adult witnessed it firsthand...]<br />
Police believe that the accident occurred in an area with uneven water depths, where the student likely lost his footing in a deep spot and was swept away.

It was reported that there was no safety equipment, such as life jackets, nor any accompanying guardians.

Fire authorities stated that aside from student A, some of the other students showed symptoms of hypothermia, but none suffered major injuries.

Police are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident based on statements from students who witnessed the scene.

The Yeoncheon Office of Education in Gyeonggi Province stated that it plans to operate psychological support programs for the students if necessary.

(Video by Bae Moon-san | Video Editing by Yoon Tae-ho | Footage provided by Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters)