9 Men and Women Freediving in Geoje All Rescued 2 Hours After Going Missing

After receiving the report, rescue personnel were quickly dispatched
All 9 rescued individuals are in good health condition

Nine men and women who were freediving for leisure activities off the coast of Geoje, Gyeongnam, were safely rescued by the coast guard that launched a search. According to Yonhap News on the 8th, leisure boat captain Mr. A reported to the Tongyeong Coast Guard Station that "the location of the nine people who went freediving could not be confirmed."

[Photo by Tongyang Coast Guard]

At around 11:55 a.m. that day, Mr. A had dropped off nine freedivers at a point 7.8 km southeast of Oedo, Geoje, and then entered Jisepo Port in Geoje for ship repairs. Concerned about the divers' safety, he reported to the coast guard. Upon receiving the report, the Tongyeong Coast Guard dispatched all available rescue personnel and equipment, including aircraft, patrol vessels, coastal rescue boats, and rescue teams, to conduct a search. About two hours after the report, at 1:57 p.m., a patrol vessel found the nine divers holding onto a buoy floating in the sea approximately 11.5 km northeast from the initial entry point, and all were rescued.

The nine rescued individuals, including eight men in their 20s to 40s and one woman in her 20s, were all in good health. Since they did not wish to be transported to a hospital, they were all sent home, the Tongyeong Coast Guard stated. A Tongyeong Coast Guard official said, "Unexpected situations can occur anytime during leisure activities at sea, so thorough safety management and adherence to safety rules are necessary," and urged, "Please report promptly to the coast guard if an accident occurs."

Meanwhile, freediving, a sport popular among the younger generation recently, involves diving deep and surfacing in one breath without an air tank. Typically, participants swim depths of about 5 to 30 meters. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Photo by Pixabay]

Meanwhile, freediving, which has recently become popular mainly among young people, is a sport where one dives deep and resurfaces in a single breath without using an air tank. Typically, divers swim about 5 to 30 meters. Freediving has a lower entry barrier than expected. Especially, even those who cannot swim can do it. Wearing a suit with high buoyancy and fins, one can easily float by just kicking. Additionally, when a person splashes water on their face and breathes calmly, the Mammalian Diving Reflex (MDR) is induced, allowing them to stay underwater more safely and longer than they might think. By learning breathing techniques and equalizing pressure through lessons, one can easily dive down and return from 5 meters. A round trip to 5 meters usually takes about 30 seconds to one minute. Since diving is usually done in pairs, safety accidents are not very frequent, but caution is always necessary.

In fact, on December 10, 2022, a fatal accident occurred when a woman in her 30s who was a student entered the freediving zone (5-meter deep diving pool) at an indoor swimming pool in Seo-gu, Gwangju. A freediving industry official said, "More young people are enjoying freediving, but sometimes we see risky challenges just to get pretty photos," emphasizing, "It is important to learn not only the breath-holding and diving techniques but also mind control methods." He added, "If you panic midway, you might take a big breath, which is dangerous," and urged, "Practice meditation on the water surface before entering and slowly exhale to prepare well."