Police Officer Responding to a Report... Saved a Collapsed Pedestrian by Giving Cola

Rushed to the Mart to Buy Cola
"Glad the Citizen Recovered Safely"

A man in his 40s who collapsed on the roadside due to hypoglycemia narrowly escaped a life-threatening situation thanks to the prompt response of the police, a story that has come to light belatedly.

According to the Gangwon Provincial Police Agency on the 5th, a 112 emergency call was received on the afternoon of August 12 reporting that a man in his 40s, Mr. A, had collapsed near the bus terminal in Hwangji-dong, Taebaek City.

Responding to the report from a passerby, Police Officer Choi Ha-young (25) of the Hwangji Police Substation, along with Lieutenant Lee Doo-hee, Sergeant Ahn Chi-gyun, and Officer Kim Nam-hyung, immediately rushed to the scene to check on Mr. A’s condition. At the time, Mr. A was lying face down on the road with an injury on his arm.

Police officers are checking the condition of a collapsed citizen with hypoglycemia.
[Image provided by Gangwon Police Agency]

With his consciousness faintly remaining, Mr. A informed the police that he was suffering from hypoglycemia. In response, Officer Choi and the others ran to a nearby mart to buy cola and obtained a spoon and straw from a nearby motel. While they were fetching the necessary items, another officer kept talking to Mr. A to help him stay conscious.

The police then fed Mr. A small amounts of cola using the spoon while monitoring his condition, and he eventually regained consciousness. The police supported Mr. A and safely handed him over to the 119 emergency medical team.

Officer Choi said, "At first, I thought he had been drinking and fallen asleep on the street, but when I got closer, I noticed the injury on his arm and realized something was wrong. I’m relieved that we acted quickly and the emergency patient was able to recover safely."

Meanwhile, hypoglycemia refers to a condition where blood sugar levels are lower than normal. The normal blood sugar range is usually about 60 to 150 mg/dL, and levels below 50 mg/dL are considered hypoglycemic.

Mild symptoms of hypoglycemia include hunger, cold sweat, palpitations, dizziness, weakness, and numbness in the fingertips. If hypoglycemia persists, symptoms such as severe fatigue, vision abnormalities, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating at work may also appear.

If symptoms worsen, the face may become pale, speech may become slurred, and consciousness may become clouded, potentially leading to fainting. Hypoglycemia severe enough to cause loss of consciousness can cause permanent brain damage, so caution is necessary.