A firefighter, wearing a soot-stained fire suit, kneels on the ground and presses something on a cushion with his fingers. When there is still no response, the firefighter lowers his head and attempts artificial respiration by blowing air directly into the mouth. The items on the cushion were two puppies rescued from the fire scene. The heartwarming scene of a 30-year veteran firefighter performing CPR to save the unconscious puppies has been shared widely.
On the 8th, Yonhap News reported that at 9:54 a.m., the Gunsan Fire Station in Jeonbuk received a 119 emergency call reporting "black smoke and flames visible from a building in Susong-dong, Gunsan." The fire broke out in a commercial building that offered pet adoption and grooming services. The Jikok 119 Safety Center of Gunsan Fire Station immediately dispatched firefighters to the scene and carried out extinguishing operations, putting out the fire in about 30 minutes. Fortunately, there were no casualties.
During the extinguishing operation, Fire Lieutenant Lee Hoyong, who was dispatched to the scene, found two puppies that had been born not long ago unconscious and collapsed. The puppies were not breathing, their bodies limp, likely due to inhaling too much smoke. Lieutenant Lee immediately moved the puppies outside, placed them on a cushion, and performed CPR. He pressed on their chests with his fingers and alternated with artificial respiration, but the puppies, having inhaled too much smoke, ultimately did not regain consciousness.
Lieutenant Lee, a 30-year veteran, said, "I performed CPR with a desperate hope that their hearts would return to normal," and added, "It is heartbreaking that the puppies ultimately crossed the rainbow bridge." The fire caused the death of five puppies and property damage worth approximately 30 million won. Police and fire authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, questioning the building manager and others.
The video showing the firefighter performing artificial respiration on the puppies spread across online communities, prompting netizens to respond, "It is touching to see how precious even the lives of animals are," and "It is sad for the animals that lived trapped and died." Some also expressed opinions that "the treatment of firefighters who risk their lives for small creatures should be improved."
Earlier, in February, there was a touching report about Fire Officer Choi Yooseung of Hoengseong Fire Station in Gangwon Province jumping into icy water to rescue a puppy that had fallen through the ice on a reservoir. Additionally, last August in Jeju, when a calf was trapped and unable to escape from a retention basin swollen by heavy rain, Fire Officer Lee Geonyun of Jeju West Fire Station rode down a crane and embraced the calf to rescue it, a scene that was widely praised through media coverage.
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