[Opinion] Searching for the Elderly Who Went to Pick Songyi Mushrooms 'Samman-ri'... A Story of Rescuing a Distressed Person

Juwangsan National Park Office Exploration Facilities Department Chief Jang Sung-yeol

"A missing person incident." About ten minutes before the end of the workday, at dusk, a person collecting pine mushrooms went missing.

I got into the waiting rescue vehicle. It was my first night dispatch as a new employee with two months at the Korea National Park Service. Everything was still unfamiliar and awkward, and I was scared, but a strange mix of tension and excitement filled me.

After driving about 20 minutes on a road shrouded in night fog, we arrived with colleagues in front of the Jeolgol branch office of Juwangsan National Park, where two volunteer firefighters, nearby residents, and two police officers had gathered. As I got out of the car, the cold autumn rain and night air seeped in.

The tension heightened as the situation assessment meeting began to rescue the missing person in their 80s. It was understood that the missing person usually entered the mountain at 6 a.m. and came down around 2 p.m.

After the meeting, we split into two teams and headed toward the trail. A senior employee familiar with the terrain led the way, two firefighters and volunteer firefighters walked in the middle, and I followed at the rear. The trail in the darkness felt like a fearful place different from daytime. The forest without lights was immersed in deep darkness, and the sound of the valley water, swollen by two days of autumn rain, echoed all around.

How long had we walked? After a long walk, we arrived at a no-entry warning sign and a wooden railing. A coat and handkerchief hanging there caught my eye. Could these be traces of the missing person? My heart started pounding.

"Entering an unauthorized trail." At the senior's words, the full search began. Anxiety about misstepping in the pitch-black darkness overwhelmed me, and my breath quickened. After a brief pause to catch my breath and steady my mind, I turned on my flashlight again and carefully moved forward, pushing aside branches.

Climbing along the valley, I searched with all my nerves on edge. Every time a tree with peeled bark looked like a human figure, my heart sank.

Even shining the light wildly, the curves of the rainy valley repeatedly caused us to lose sight. Crossing the valley, which rose up to my thighs, and slipping repeatedly on the wet rocks, we continued the search for a long time until a light flickered from the opposite side.

I shouted to confirm the other party, but my voice was drowned out by the sound of the valley water. As I approached, I heard another search team's shout, "Found!" When the number of lights increased to two, I was certain. It was the moment we found the missing person.

Two rescuers from the team that had left earlier were supporting the missing person. We helped the elderly man, who was leaning on a cane, sit on a small rock and handed him bottled water and Choco Pie.

The rescuers checked the man's condition and asked, "Are you cold? Do you have any pain?" The elderly man repeatedly expressed his thanks as he drank the water.

The way down was more difficult than the uphill climb. The rescuers took turns supporting the elderly man, while the rest of us carefully shone flashlights on the ground and moved cautiously. Rescue operations on an unauthorized trail leave no room for mistakes.

When my whole body was soaked with rain and sweat and I was getting exhausted, finally, the wooden railing appeared. It was the end of the unauthorized trail. As we entered the official trail, cell phone signals started to come through, and numerous messages poured in.

When we arrived at the entrance, encouragement and cheers from the people waiting for us poured out. I eased my hunger with a roll of gimbap handed by a standby team member who had come to support us, feeling proud that we had saved a life.

After sending a message to my friend saying, "I returned safely," a smile appeared on my face.

Jang Sung-yeol, Chief of the Exploration Facilities Division, Juwangsan National Park Office.