A Man in His 50s Suffers Quadriplegia After Diving into 1.5m Deep Jeju Sea

Head Injury from Diving at Wolryeong Port
Civilians Nearby Rescue Victim

A man in his 50s diving in the sea near Jeju was seriously injured after hitting his head on the bottom.

According to the Jeju Fire and Safety Headquarters on the 1st, around 2:04 PM the previous day, a man in his 50s, Mr. A, who was diving at Wolryeong Port in Hallim-eup, Jeju City, suffered an accident where he hit his head on the bottom. At the time, Mr. A dived at a depth of 1.5 meters and lost consciousness after injuring his head. Afterwards, people nearby rescued Mr. A, who had lost consciousness and was floating on the water.

Ambulance waiting. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

When the 119 emergency medical team arrived, Mr. A had regained consciousness but showed symptoms of cervical pain and paralysis in his limbs, so he was transported to a nearby hospital.

Earlier, in Jeju last month, a man in his 20s was also rescued in a state of cardiac arrest while diving. Around 3:25 AM on the 15th of last month, Mr. B, a man in his 20s who was playing in the water at Hamdeok Beach in Jocheon-eup, Jeju City, was rescued in cardiac arrest. Mr. B, a private safety guard at the beach, is known to have had an accident while diving. It was confirmed that he jumped into the sea from a rocky area at a depth of 1 meter, and after receiving emergency treatment, he was transferred to a hospital for further care.

Meanwhile, such diving accidents occur every year without fail. In August of last year, a man in his 20s, Mr. C, suffered an accident where he lost consciousness after diving at a swimming pool in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province. Mr. B later regained consciousness but was seriously injured in his neck and back, resulting in paralysis and was transported to a hospital. The swimming pool where the accident occurred is known to have a depth of about 1 meter.

Accidents involving injuries from diving often occur not only in the sea and valleys during summer but also in swimming pools. To prevent diving accidents, it is essential not to dive in places where the water depth is less than 4 meters. Especially, it is absolutely forbidden to jump into water in places like valleys where the depth is unknown.

If the head hits rocks or the ground, the neck can bend, causing fractures and nerve damage. People with cervical disc disease or spinal stenosis need to be extra cautious as even minor impacts can damage the spinal nerves. Additionally, people with cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease, or those with hypertension caused by diabetes or obesity, should avoid diving because when the head is directed downward during diving, blood pressure rises, and sudden blood flow to the head can cause cerebral hemorrhage.