"Sent a photo of her fallen son, then begged to take him away"…Mother's desperate cry

20s A Dies Installing Air Conditioner in Heatwave
Sent "Take Me" Photo After Vomiting and Collapsing
Mother "Can't Even Hold Funeral... Demand Truth Investigation"

Photo unrelated to the article.

Relatives and labor organizations demanded a thorough investigation into the death of a man who died from heatstroke on his second day at work.

Labor and civic groups from Gwangju and Jeonnam, along with the bereaved family, held a press conference on the 19th in front of the Gwangju Regional Employment and Labor Office. They shouted, "Punish the employer who neglected the worker who collapsed in the heatwave, leading to his death, and thoroughly investigate the truth."

Mr. A (27) collapsed while installing an air conditioner in the cafeteria of a middle school located in Jangseong-gun, Jeonnam, on the 13th. He was transported to the hospital but ultimately died from heatstroke.

The Jangseong Office of Education signed a contract with an electronics company for air conditioner replacement work in May, and Mr. A was working as a subcontractor for that company during the installation.

School CCTV footage confirmed that around 4:40 p.m. on the day of his death, Mr. A ran out of the cafeteria where he was installing the air conditioner and vomited. After returning to the cafeteria, he immediately came out again, staggered, and collapsed in a flower bed.

The abnormal symptoms Mr. A showed, such as vomiting and dizziness, are typical signs of heat-related illness. At that time, the daytime high temperature in the Jangseong area approached 34.1 degrees Celsius, and humidity exceeded 70%.

The bereaved family pointed to the company as responsible for Mr. A’s death. A company official took a photo of Mr. A collapsed around 5:10 p.m. and sent it to his mother. Then, they called her asking, "Does A have any pre-existing conditions?" and sent a text message with the middle school’s name and the photo again, saying, "Please take your son."

The company only reported the incident to 119 emergency services at 5:27 p.m., after obtaining the mother’s consent, stating, "His condition seems serious." The ambulance arrived about an hour after Mr. A collapsed, and he was transported to a general hospital in Gwangju around 6:03 p.m., but he was not breathing. He eventually passed away at 7:14 p.m.

The bereaved family and labor groups claimed, "Despite Mr. A showing symptoms of heat-related illness, the company took no special measures, leading to his death." They have filed a complaint against the company for violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and the Industrial Safety and Health Act.

Mr. A’s mother said, "We have not even been able to hold my son’s funeral," and demanded, "We ask for a thorough investigation to prevent this from becoming an unjust death."

In response, the company stated, "We offer our deepest condolences to the bereaved family and pray for the deceased’s peace," adding, "We will actively cooperate with the ongoing investigation and take all necessary measures."