Middle School Student Swept Away by Waves at Oryukdo Islands Dies... "Friends Delayed Reporting While Filming Video"

Busan Maritime Police Station. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Seul-gi] Recently, a middle school student was swept away by waves and died near the Oryukdo sea area in Busan. Claims have been raised that friends present at the scene delayed reporting because they were filming videos, prompting the Coast Guard to launch an investigation.

The Busan Coast Guard stated on the 7th, "We are investigating suspicions related to the drowning accident of a middle school student that occurred in the sea in front of Oryukdo, Busan, which was posted on the Blue House National Petition and other platforms."

Earlier, around 3 p.m. on the 4th, middle school student A (14) was swept away by waves in the sea in front of the Oryukdo pier in Nam-gu, Busan. A was rescued an hour later without breathing or a pulse and was taken to the hospital but ultimately passed away.

On the 5th, a petition titled "Please avenge the wrongful death of OO" related to A's accident was posted on the Blue House National Petition board.

The petitioner claimed, "The friends thought it was a joke and were filming videos and laughing while taking photos. They say that if they had called the paramedics instead of filming, he would have survived," and earnestly requested punishment for the children. As of 11 a.m. on the 7th, the petition had over 110,000 supporters.

The Busan Coast Guard said, "We are investigating the exact circumstances of A's death and are also verifying the suspicions raised through the Blue House National Petition and social network services (SNS)."