Off-Duty Firefighter Jumps In Fully Clothed and Rescues 20s at Beach Within 5 Minutes

A person in their 20s drowns at Mangsang Beach
Firefighter Kim Dong-chan on site rescues them
"Hearing 'Dad, you're cool' makes me proud"

A firefighter who visited Donghae Mangsang Beach with his family on his day off rescued a man in his 20s who had fallen into the sea while enjoying water activities.

Sergeant Kim Dong-chan of the East Coast Special Response Unit, Gangwon Provincial Fire Headquarters.
[Photo by East Coast Special Response Unit, Gangwon Provincial Fire Headquarters]

On the 9th, the East Coast Special Response Team of the Gangwon Provincial Fire Headquarters announced that at around 4:40 p.m. on the 6th, a tourist in his 20s, Mr. A, fell into the sea at Mangsang Beach in Donghae City.

Since the beach was not yet open for the season, no water safety personnel were stationed there, but several tourists were swimming and enjoying the water. Mr. A and two others in his group entered the sea and played in the water without any flotation devices. After crossing the swimming boundary line, Mr. A suddenly fell into the sea and called for help from those nearby.

The first person to notice Mr. A was Fire Captain Kim Dong-chan (41), who was spending time with his family on his day off. After borrowing a tube from a nearby citizen, he jumped into the sea fully clothed and quickly swam about 30 meters to the swimming boundary line. Upon reaching Mr. A, Captain Kim instructed him to hold onto the tube and then swam back, pulling him to the shore. The entire rescue took only five minutes.

Mr. A is reported to be in good health with no serious issues. Captain Kim said, "Before becoming a firefighter, I worked as a water safety officer, so whenever I go to the sea, I habitually check if anyone is in trouble in the water." He added, "At that time, Mangsang Beach was not yet open, so there were no water safety officers, but people were still playing in the water, which was a concerning situation."

He continued, "The week before opening and the week after closing are the periods when the most accidents occur at beaches. It is best not to swim where there are no water safety officers, and if you do, you must always bring a tube or life jacket." He also added, "While it was rewarding to safely rescue the tourist, what made me most proud was that my children, who witnessed the rescue, said, 'Dad, you're awesome.'"