Seobu Fire Station Volunteer Firefighters Rescue Missing Dementia Patient

Appearance of the missing dementia patient at the time of discovery

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] A man in his 60s with dementia who went missing in Dongcheon-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, safely returned home with the help of a volunteer firefighter.

According to the Gwangju Western Fire Station on the 3rd, volunteer firefighter Park Gi-seok found the dementia patient Kim (65) around 8:11 a.m. the previous day in front of a bus stop in Yuchon-dong, Seo-gu, and handed him over to the police.

Having previously participated in activities such as the 119 Citizen Lifesaving Team and mountain safety patrols, Park saw a missing person alert from the Gwangju Police Agency and, after confirming the missing person was wearing a brown sleeveless top, proceeded to rescue him.

At the time, heavy rain was falling and the nearby Gwangju Stream was flowing, so to prepare for any possible accidents, he stayed nearby until the police arrived at the scene.

Park said, "Through my activities as a volunteer firefighter, I realized that small attention can protect citizens' safety," adding, "I will continue to actively engage in firefighting support activities with interest in the surrounding situation."

He was also awarded a commendation from the Western Fire Station Chief in 2019 in recognition of his service as a volunteer firefighter.