Hiker Lost on Gageodo Hiking Trail
A story has been shared about a hiker who got lost in the mountains late at night and was safely rescued with the help of the police and local citizens.
On the 30th, a video titled "Police navigating through the darkness, and what was found at the end, OO?" was uploaded on the YouTube channel 'Korea National Police Agency'.
According to the video, the Jeonnam Police Agency received a 112 emergency call last month late at night from the hiking trail on Gageodo Island in Sinan-gun, Jeonnam, reporting that "a hiker got lost and wandered around, and due to injury and exhaustion, cannot come down."
The police who received the report immediately headed to the scene, but since it was late at night and the hiker, who came from another region, could not specify their exact location, it was difficult to find them. Therefore, the police prepared rescue equipment such as ropes and searchlights and set out for a night search together with local residents familiar with the area.
The police and local residents identified two possible locations of the distressed hiker based on two photos sent by the hiker and continued the search. After about two hours of searching following the report, the police found the hiker sitting against a tree in a steep area about 300 meters away from the hiking trail, suffering from exhaustion and a leg injury.
To prevent the risk of slipping, the police tied the rescue rope they brought during the search around the hiker's waist to secure them and safely rescued them back to the hiking trail.
Netizens who heard the news expressed various reactions such as, "It's fortunate that they were safely rescued thanks to the efforts of the local residents and police. Hopefully, they will come down earlier next time," "It's dangerous to hike alone late at night," and "Let's hike safely."
A hiker leaning against a tree, exhausted and with a leg injury. [Image source=YouTube channel 'Daehanminguk Gyeongchalcheong']
Meanwhile, October is the month when hiking accidents such as slips occur most frequently, requiring special caution during mountain hiking. According to statistics from the Korea National Park Service, from 2020 to 2022, there were 24,302 hiking accidents and 12,394 casualties over the past three years, with October accounting for the highest proportion at 3,443 accidents and 1,759 casualties. The causes of accidents were slips or falls (34%), getting lost (27%), physical illnesses such as pre-existing conditions (20%), falls from heights (4%), and isolation (3%), in that order.
To prevent hiking accidents, it is advisable to check the location of shelters, weather, and estimated time required before leaving home. It is also important to inform people around you of your destination. Since the sun sets early and it is easy to lead to distress accidents, it is recommended to start hiking early in the morning and finish 1 to 2 hours before sunset.
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