A man in his 30s who went missing after climbing Geumsan Boriam in Sangju-myeon, Namhae-gun, Gyeongnam, around 11:10 a.m. on the 13th was found six days later.
According to Namhae Police Station on the 19th, the man called 112 at 6:16 p.m. on the day he went missing, reporting, "I found two bodies."
When asked about the location, he replied, "I am being chased by a bear."
The police dispatched officers to protect the man and verify the report, but could not reach him by phone and contacted the man's father.
The father said he had driven his son to the mountain in the morning and that his son had not returned yet.
He also mentioned that his son often drank alcohol and had experienced delirium symptoms, for which he had received treatment.
The police determined the report was false, but after confirming that the man's phone location remained at Boriam past 8 p.m., they accepted a missing person report and began a search.
A paramedic is covering a missing man with a thermal blanket. [Photo by Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters]
The police, Namhae Fire Department firefighters, and staff from Hallyeohaesang National Park Office joined forces to focus on finding the missing man. Drones searched from the sky while search dogs assisted on the ground.
The joint search team analyzed CCTV footage across Geumsan and investigated the last base station that received the man's phone signal.
They thoroughly searched the hiking trails where people frequently pass as well.
Despite hot weather, sudden rain, and days of thunder and lightning, the search team did not stop, hoping for the man's safe return.
The man's father also climbed the mountain daily, waiting for his missing son.
On the 5th day of the search, around 3:30 p.m. on the 17th, the missing man's bag was found about 200 meters above the Geumsan ticket office.
Finding traces of the missing person, the search team focused their efforts nearby, and on the next day, the 18th, at 2:40 p.m., they found the man in a state of exhaustion.
Firefighters assessed his condition, provided emergency care such as covering him with a thermal blanket, and transported him to the hospital.
This marked the end of a six-day search operation involving about 220 personnel from the police, fire department, and national park staff.
A police official said, "Despite the hot and bad weather, the related agencies cooperated as if it were their own business, and I am truly grateful. We are happy that the missing person safely returned to his family."
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