Exhausted Hiker... Carried Down After Emergency Treatment
"Given Another Chance at Life... Grateful"
Officer Kim: "Any Police Officer Would Have Done the Same"
A police officer who was climbing Hallasan on his day off saved a collapsed hiker, a story that has come to light.
According to Seogwipo Police Station on the 23rd, Sergeant Kim Joo-eop (44) of the Daejeong Police Substation Marado Security Center was climbing Hallasan on the 13th, his day off without duty. Around 11 a.m., near the summit of Baengnokdam, Sergeant Kim found a hiker, Ms. A (female in her 30s), collapsed there. At the time, Ms. A had been climbing Hallasan alone and had collapsed from heat exhaustion, sitting on the stairs for over 30 minutes in a dazed state.
Ms. A was waiting for rescue after another climber reported her, but her condition was worsening with severe dizziness, vomiting, hyperventilation, numbness in her hands and feet, and extreme cold. Sergeant Kim immediately gave her saline glucose he had, massaged her hands and feet to keep her conscious, and provided first aid. He also covered her with an emergency foil blanket to prevent her body temperature from dropping. Later, he received news from the fire department that a helicopter was heading to the Samgakbong Shelter, and he carried Ms. A on his back down to the helipad, which took about 30 minutes. Fortunately, when Ms. A was handed over to the 119 rescue team, her body temperature had risen slightly, and she was stable.
Sergeant Kim’s good deed became known after Ms. A posted on the Jeju Police Agency website on the 17th. She recalled, "While hiking alone, about 10 minutes from the summit, I suddenly felt dizzy and then fell asleep. I also experienced severe vomiting," adding, "I was trembling with hyperventilation and extreme cold and couldn’t even get up." She continued, "At that moment, Sergeant Kim, who was hiking nearby, immediately provided first aid," and said, "He carried me, who had lost more than half of my consciousness, on his shoulders down to the emergency helicopter landing site, doing his best to raise my body temperature." She also shared, "The 119 paramedics told me it was a pre-cardiac arrest symptom and that I was truly lucky," and expressed gratitude, saying, "Having gone through many hardships and developed distrust and skepticism toward people, this gave me another chance at life and restored my faith and respect for the police."
Additionally, Mr. B, a man in his 50s who helped Sergeant Kim by calling 119, also posted a message praising him. Mr. B wrote, "Sergeant Kim, who visited Hallasan, immediately administered first aid to the hiker in poor condition," and added, "I commend his volunteer spirit to help citizens in difficulty without hesitation, his preparedness in carrying necessary items for possible emergencies, and his well-maintained physical strength to carry the hiker to the helipad."
Sergeant Kim said, "My body instinctively reacted in the emergency. Any police officer would have done the same," and added, "I was recovering from surgery after injuring my arm, but the situation was so urgent that I didn’t even notice the pain." He also said, "I carry a 1,000 won emergency foil blanket and saline glucose, purchased at a convenience store, because you never know when an emergency might happen," and added, "It might be difficult for ordinary people, but police officers and firefighters can definitely handle it."
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