Search Operation for Missing Person in Chuncheon Uiam Lake Ends...To Resume Tomorrow Morning (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ji-hwan Park] The search operation for the missing persons in the boat capsizing accident on Uiamho Lake in Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do, ended around 6:30 PM on the 6th.

According to the authorities, the search operation is scheduled to resume after sunrise on the 7th. On that day, 835 personnel from the fire department and police, along with 7 helicopters, drones, life-saving boats, and 100 pieces of equipment were deployed.

Although the rain stopped in the area in the afternoon, the search operation faced difficulties due to the strong currents and muddy water caused by heavy rain over the past few days.

At around 11:30 AM that day, three vessels?a police boat, an environmental monitoring boat, and a garbage collection boat?sank on Uiamho Lake in Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do, resulting in 5 missing and 2 rescued out of 8 passengers.

Initially, 8 people were on the three vessels involved in the accident. One person escaped and was rescued before being swept into the Uiam Dam sluice gate. Of the remaining 7, one was rescued 13 km away from the accident site, one died, and the other 5 remain missing.

The accident occurred 500 meters upstream from Uiam Dam in Seomyeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do. A large floating vegetation island installed to purify the water quality of Uiamho Lake was swept away by the rapid current, prompting administrative vessels and private companies to be dispatched to secure it.

After the first securing attempt failed, a police boat was additionally deployed to cooperate in the operation. However, during the withdrawal of the three vessels after failing to secure the island, the boats got caught on a wire installed 500 meters upstream from Uiam Dam, causing all three vessels to capsize simultaneously. Immediately after the accident, the vessels were sucked into sluice gate number 6 of Uiam Dam, which is 13 meters wide and 14 meters high, and swept downstream. CCTV footage captured the police boat being sucked into the dam sluice gate first, followed sequentially by the administrative vessels. The wire was installed as a boundary line to prevent boats from approaching the dam or being swept away by the water flow during discharge.