Avoid High Places and Fall from
Pointed Structures to Lower Areas
As many people traveled to Gangwon Province for the weekend, a lightning strike accident occurred at Seorak Beach in Yangyang. Since about 70% of lightning strikes are concentrated in the summer months of June to August, special caution is expected to be necessary for safety accidents.
According to the Gangwon Fire Headquarters, on the 10th, six men in their 20s to 40s were seriously or moderately injured in a lightning strike accident at Seorak Beach in Yangyang, Gangwon. Among them, one person is in cardiac arrest, and the other five were transported to nearby hospitals by ambulance and private vehicles and are receiving treatment.
In 2021, there were 124,447 lightning strikes in South Korea. This is about a 51% increase compared to 82,651 strikes in 2020.
According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's public action guidelines, it is recommended to refrain from outdoor activities such as hiking, golf, and fishing when a lightning forecast is issued.
Lightning carries a voltage exceeding 100 million volts and can be fatal if it strikes a person. In 2020, there was a tragic case where two women in their 50s hiking at Mangyeongdae on Bukhansan Mountain in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, were struck by lightning, resulting in one death.
Lightning is more likely to strike the highest point on the ground. Therefore, when lightning occurs, move from high places outdoors to lower areas, and in fields or flatlands, keep your body as low as possible. Avoid structures such as trees, streetlights, and utility poles.
If you see lightning and hear thunder within 30 seconds, quickly evacuate to a safe place, and it is best to wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before moving.
In case of electric shock from lightning, contact 119 as soon as possible and provide emergency treatment as quickly as possible. Move the lightning victim to a safe place with others nearby and check their consciousness.
If unconscious, check for breathing and pulse. If breathing has stopped, perform artificial respiration; if the pulse is also absent, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) along with artificial respiration. Provide emergency care with others nearby until 119 rescue personnel arrive, and keep the victim's body temperature stable.
If the victim has a pulse and is breathing, quickly check for other injuries with others nearby. Check the degree of burns where lightning entered and exited the body, as well as for neurological damage, fractures, and hearing and vision impairments.
Even if the patient appears conscious, electric shock can cause burns inside the body, so it is advisable to receive emergency examination at a hospital promptly.
On this day, Sokcho City Hall sent a safety advisory text message stating, "Many damages due to lightning are expected, so please refrain from entering dangerous areas such as coastal areas."
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