Coast Guard officer dies after rescuing elderly man stranded in mudflats
The death of a Coast Guard officer, who perished after rescuing an elderly man stranded in tidal mudflats, has stirred controversy in South Korea.
Most criticised the “slow” response from subsequent rescuers, noting that too much time had lasped before they arrived.
According to Korea JoongAng Daily, 34-year-old Sergeant Lee Jae-seok was the only person dispatched to the scene after a private drone surveillance company reported an emergency at 2.07am on 11 Sept.
At 2.42am, Mr Lee arrived at the mudflats near Kkot Island in Incheon to find an injured man in his 70s.
The man’s feet were badly cut by shells while diving, making him unable to get out of the mudflats on his own amid rising tides.
Coast guard officer responds to emergency alone
At the time, Team Leader A of Yongheung Police Station asked Mr Lee if he should wake someone else and send them to the scene, radio records revealed.
“The water is rising, so I might need a bit of help,” Mr Lee responded.
The team leader said they should first make a report to the Coast Guard’s Incheon headquarters and wake up other staff, but Mr Lee said he “would go first” and assess the individual, adding that the water was only ankle deep.
When the water rose to their waists, Mr Lee attempted to carry the elderly man out of the mudflat, but failed.
He then removed his life vest and gave it to the man.
Source: Dong-A Daily
By 3.02am, the water had risen to their chins, and eight minutes later, only Mr Lee’s head could be seen above the water.
At 3.14am, a station staff member finally contacted Mr Lee on the radio, asking him to reach out if he can hear them.
Reports also revealed that other officers did not leave for the scene until 3.09am.
Drone footage revealed that Mr Lee was last seen moving his legs to stay afloat at 3.27am.
Delayed reporting criticised
Mr Lee was declared missing before his body was found at 9.41am in waters near Kkot Island.
However, he was pronounced dead while receiving CPR during transport to the hospital.
The incident has since raised questions about the delayed reporting, which could have saved Mr Lee’s life.
According to Korea JoongAng Daily, the Incheon Coast Guard and the Central Regional Coast Guard only learned about Mr Lee’s situation at around 3.30am.
“The upper-level agency issued helicopter dispatch orders at 3:32 am, and it took at least 20 minutes to prepare for takeoff,” a Coast Guard official reportedly said.
The chopper then took off at around 3.55am, arriving at the scene in seven minutes.
“We are investigating why the report was delayed,” they added.
Source: News1
Besides the delayed response, the deceased’s family noted that the Korea Coast Guard’s regulation, which requires patrols to include at least two officers unless under exceptional circumstances, was not followed.
The Coast Guard formed a team of external experts on Sunday (14 Sept) to conduct a two-week investigation to determine whether protocols were properly followed and identify any missteps.
Officers’ teammates claim they are being silenced
In a press conference held at the funeral hall on Monday (15 Sept), Mr Lee’s colleagues claimed that they had been told to “make Sergeant Lee Jae-seok a hero”, so they “must not tarnish him”, Chosun reported.
They said:
We were instructed not to answer questions from reporters, the bereaved family, or acquaintances and colleagues about the previous discord between the team leader and team members and the details of the events that occurred that day.
The staff initially believed this was to keep the officer’s five-day funeral smooth-sailing, but the police station chief allegedly told them not to use their annual or sick leaves to visit the funeral home.
Source: News1
“The first time the chief of the police station ordered silence [in the case] was when the missing officer was being transported to the emergency room after being rescued,” they revealed.
They added that they were unsure whether Mr Lee volunteered to conduct the rescue alone or if Team Leader A had instructed him, but they stressed that “the Coast Guard is supposed to patrol in pairs”.
“If they had pressed just one emergency bell, the call button inside the station, immediately [after the accident], we would have responded to the situation,” Mr Lee’s teammates lamented.
They claimed that the rescue was delayed because the team leader did not respond quickly enough, adding that he failed the share the situation with them.
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Featured image adapted from News1, Korea JoongAng Daily.
