"Please Have Some Gomtang"... $300 and a Thank You Letter Delivered to the Fire Station

American Injured During Trekking on Somaemuldo, Tongyeong, Gyeongnam
Returned Home After 119 Rescue...Sent Letter and Check

An American who injured her ankle while trekking on Somaemuldo Island in Tongyeong, Gyeongnam, and received help from 119, sent a thank-you letter and a check after returning to her home country, creating a heartwarming story. According to the Tongyeong Fire Station on the 10th, Emily Grace, an American national, delivered a letter saying "Please enjoy some warm beef bone soup" along with a $300 (about 400,000 KRW) check on the 5th.

[Image provided by Tongyeong Fire Station]

At the time, Emily, who was visiting Korea with her Korean-American mother for tourism, injured her ankle around 11 a.m. on October 5 last year while trekking with her family on Somaemuldo. Somaemuldo is an island about a 30-minute ferry ride from the mainland, located deep toward the southern coast among the islands of Tongyeong.

Afterward, Emily's family requested help from 119, and the 706 Fireboat crew of the Tongyeong Fire Station promptly responded, providing emergency treatment and quickly transporting her to the mainland. She was handed over to the Seoho Ambulance team and transferred to a hospital, where she was safely treated.

After returning to the United States, a thank-you letter from Emily's family arrived at the Tongyeong Fire Station on the 5th, along with the $300 check. Emily's parents wrote in the letter, "We wish you good health and a vibrant year in 2024," and added, "Our daughter has removed her cast and is receiving physical therapy, walking gently now. Although small, this is our heartfelt gift; please enjoy some warm beef bone soup with your fellow crew members."

However, after discussion, the Tongyeong Fire Station reportedly donated the entire amount of the check to the Comprehensive Welfare Center for the Disabled in Yongnam-myeon, Tongyeong City. Lee Jin-hwang, chief of the Tongyeong Fire Station, said, "All staff were deeply moved and felt a great sense of accomplishment from the thank-you letter, and we will do our best to protect the safety of citizens with even greater responsibility," adding, "We will accept the donation with gratitude and share the warmth again as a fund to help neighbors in need."