"The Hero of Our Time"... Special Forces Veteran Firefighter Saves Man in His 30s Hanging from 13th Floor

Former Special Forces Firefighter Shin Gang-min
"I Was Not Afraid Because I Was With My Team"

A woman in her 30s who was hanging from the railing of a high-rise apartment in an attempt to commit suicide was safely rescued thanks to the calm response of firefighters, Yonhap News reported on the 17th.

According to the report, at 5:46 p.m. on the 16th, the Jeonbuk Provincial Fire Headquarters 119 Comprehensive Situation Room received a joint response request from the police. It was reported that a woman in her 30s, identified as Ms. A, was hanging from the stair railing on the 13th floor of an apartment in Junghwasan-dong, Wansan-gu, Jeonju City.

Firefighters quickly dispatched to the scene, but Ms. A's body was already outside the railing. It was a tense situation where she could fall if she lost her grip.

[Image provided by Jeonbuk Provincial Fire Department]

After hearing from the police that "it was difficult to persuade Ms. A," the firefighters quickly set up an air safety mat on the ground. They then went up to the 14th floor, one floor above where Ms. A was located.

In particular, firefighter Shin Kang-min quietly tied a rope to the railing to secure Ms. A’s body without startling her, then descended one floor down the rope and wrapped his body around her. He then lifted Ms. A and pushed her safely toward the firefighters inside the railing, successfully rescuing her.

[Image provided by Jeonbuk Provincial Fire Department]

Firefighter Shin, who served for seven years in the 1st Airborne Special Forces Brigade before being discharged, was appointed as a firefighter through a special recruitment for rescue personnel in January last year and has been active as a firefighter since. Shin said, "I prepared for the special recruitment because I wanted to do rewarding work that I could feel deeply," adding, "I’m relieved that the person being rescued was not injured." He continued, "Since the person being rescued might be startled, I thought about how to rescue quietly and quickly. If I had been alone, I might have been a little scared, but since I was with my team members, I didn’t feel afraid," he added.

Firefighter Shin Gang-min. [Image provided by Jeonbuk Provincial Fire Department]

Netizens who heard about the story responded with comments such as "True heroes who support our society," "Thank you for your hard work. Excellent firefighter," "Impressed by the calm response. Applause for the firefighter with a strong sense of duty," and "You who saved a precious life are the heroes of this era."