Floating on a Flamingo Tube and Rescued... How to Have a 'Safe' Vacation

Around 11:08 a.m. on the 13th, a teenager named A (in his teens) who was riding a tube near Eulwangri Beach, Yeongjongdo, Jung-gu, Incheon, was swept out to sea and rescued by the 119 rescue team.
[Photo by Yeongjong Fire Station, Incheon]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A vacationer who was swept out to sea while riding a boat-shaped tube at a beach in Incheon was rescued. Concerns about water safety accidents are growing amid the summer vacation season and the heatwave.

According to the Yeongjong Fire Station in Incheon on the 13th, around 11:08 a.m., a teenager identified as A (in his teens) was rescued by the 119 rescue team after drifting out to sea near Eulwangri Beach, Yeongjongdo, Jung-gu, Incheon while riding a tube.

On that day, A was playing on a tube during low tide when he was carried far out to sea by currents and wind. A citizen spotted A drifting and reported to 119, saying, "There is a tube floating far out at sea." The rescue team promptly dispatched a jet ski and rescue boat, and A was safely rescued near the beach just 14 minutes after the report was received.

It was investigated that A was using a flamingo-shaped boat-type tube at the time. This tube is a boat form without a hole in the center. Because of this, it experiences a lot of wind resistance, requiring caution during water play. Also, it moves by rowing or following currents, and compared to regular tubes where users can move by dipping their feet in the water, it is known to have a higher risk of safety accidents due to inexperience.

In fact, last July, a vacationer enjoying swimming on a boat-type tube at a makeshift beach in Pohang, Gyeongbuk, was rescued after being swept away by strong currents. Around Mongsanpo Beach in Taean-gun, Chungnam, a family playing on a boat-type tube was also rescued after drifting away due to water currents.

On the 17th of last month, vacationers enjoying water play at Hamdeok Beach in Jeju City. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, as the summer vacation season is in full swing and beaches are crowded with vacationers, concerns about various safety accidents are increasing. According to the Jeju Coast Guard on the 13th, a person in their 20s who went missing while playing in the water on the 11th was found dead. He was reportedly swept away by waves while playing near Handam Beach in Jeju City.

On the 13th of last month, two people in their 20s who were drinking and playing in the water at Daecheon Beach, Chungnam, were swept away by waves and died. On the 25th of the same month, a 3-year-old child playing with family in a valley in Yangyang-gun, Gangwon-do, was found dead three days after going missing in the water.

According to the Fire Agency, from 2019 to 2021, there were a total of 33,042 water-related accidents nationwide over the past three years. These accidents mainly occurred during the summer. By month, August had the highest number with 7,075 cases, followed by July (4,385 cases) and September (3,159 cases).

The main causes of water play accidents in summer include not wearing life jackets, drinking alcohol, and poor swimming skills. To prevent accidents, it is advised to enjoy water activities where rescue personnel and safety facilities are available and to never enter prohibited areas.

Also, wearing a life jacket is not optional but essential. Swimming after drinking can cause rapid body temperature changes and is very dangerous. Infants and toddlers should never be left alone and must always be accompanied by a guardian. If someone is found drowning, shout to alert those nearby or immediately call 119.