'Boat Capsizing and Exhaustion Accidents'... Safety Incidents Continue in Mountains and Valleys of Gangwon During First Weekend of July

Boat Capsizing and Hiker Exhaustion... 7 Rescued

Inje-gun, Inje-eup, Gosari Naerincheon Drowning Accident Site [Gangwon-do Fire Headquarters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Safety accidents involving tourists visiting mountains and valleys in the Gangwon region occurred one after another during the first weekend and holiday of July.

According to the Gangwon Provincial Fire Department on the 3rd, at 2:56 a.m. that day, a boat capsized in the Hantan River valley in Guntan-ri, Galmal-eup, Cheorwon-gun, and a man in his 20s who was on the boat was rescued by the dispatched fire rescue team while clinging to a rock.

Earlier, at around 4:23 p.m. on the 2nd, a man in his 50s who was descending from Bongjeongam at Seoraksan in Buk-myeon, Inje-gun, was rescued by helicopter after injuring both legs and becoming exhausted.

On the same day, at around 3:17 p.m., a man in his 60s with a knee injury was rescued near Nakyeong Waterfall in Odaesan, Gangneung, and at around 2:54 p.m., a man in his 50s who was exhausted at the summit of Gombaeryeong in Inje-gun was transported to a hospital by helicopter.

At around 2:26 p.m., a man in his 60s fell while hiking on Bangtaesan in Sangnam-myeon, Inje-gun, and at 1:46 p.m. and 12:50 p.m., boat capsizing accidents occurred consecutively in the Naerincheon valley in Inje-gun, rescuing six tourists including elementary school students.

Meanwhile, according to the provincial fire department, about half of the water-related accidents that occurred in the province over the past three years were concentrated in July and August.

The main causes of accidents were swimming inexperience with 122 cases, isolation and rapid currents with 69 cases, and leisure activity safety accidents with 21 cases, in that order.

The provincial fire department will install and operate '119 Water Rescue Teams' at 16 locations including beaches and valleys in the province from the 11th of this month until the end of next month.

Jeong Mansu, head of the Rescue and Emergency Department, emphasized, "Most water play accidents occur due to failure to follow safety rules or carelessness, so special caution is required."