An 80-Year-Old Who Disappeared While Gathering Gosari... Found in 20 Minutes After Drone Deployment

Be Cautious of 'Getting Lost Accidents' When Harvesting Gosari Ferns in Spring

A story has been shared about an 80-year-old woman who went missing after entering a deep mountain to pick gosari (bracken) and was found within about 20 minutes of drone (remotely controlled unmanned aerial vehicle) search.

Unmanned aerial vehicle drone. The photo is not directly related to the content of the article.

On the 15th, the Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters received a report from a husband around 5:50 p.m. the previous day that "my wife, who came to pick gosari with me, is missing" in a mountain in Sang-gwan-myeon, Wanju-gun. The fire authorities judged that it would be difficult to search for the missing person after dark, so they immediately launched a drone at the expected location of the missing person.

The drone, flying tirelessly through every corner of the mountain, found the missing person near the mountain summit 23 minutes after the search began. Rescue workers confirmed this with a thermal imaging camera and announced the suspension of the search, saying "the missing person has been found." The missing woman had lost her way and wandered, but thanks to the swift rescue, she is reported to be in good health. The provincial fire headquarters established a 'professional drone team' last September and currently operates 16 drones and 325 operators. Because of this, drones are playing a significant role in searching for missing persons in difficult mountainous terrain.

Kwon Ki-hyun, head of the 119 Response Division at the provincial fire headquarters, said, "The effect of customized training consistently conducted by the professional drone team led to the rapid search," adding, "As drone-based searches become increasingly important, we will do our best in training to actively utilize them."

An elderly woman in her 80s who went missing after entering a deep mountain to pick bracken was found within about 20 minutes of a drone (remotely operated unmanned aerial vehicle) search.
[Image source=Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province]

Meanwhile, in Jeju-do, a 'gosari hotspot,' it has been found that accidents involving getting lost due to gosari picking are rapidly increasing. According to statistics released last month by the Jeju Fire Safety Headquarters, there were a total of 459 'lost person' incidents in the province over the past five years (2019?2023), of which 190 cases (41.4%) occurred during gosari picking, the highest proportion. In particular, 'lost person' incidents were concentrated in spring. By month, 52.9% (243 cases) of all incidents occurred in April (169 cases) and May (74 cases), when gosari blooms. When picking gosari in spring, it is essential to always stay with companions and prepare equipment that can be used to contact others in emergencies, such as mobile phones, portable batteries, and whistles. During picking, frequently inform companions of your location and regularly check your surroundings to avoid going too deep. It is also necessary to prepare for emergencies by bringing a jumper and raincoat to maintain body temperature, water, emergency food, and a flashlight.