"What is this smell?" Police officer's 'instinct' turning back just before leaving saved a citizen's life

Following the Pungent Scent of Briquette Gas Filling the House

The police's quick response in rescuing an elderly man living alone who collapsed while replacing briquettes at home during the Lunar New Year holiday was revealed belatedly.

On the 29th, Yonhap News reported that at around 9:51 p.m. on the 26th, a 112 emergency call was received from Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, stating, "My older brother has not been reachable since he said he was feeling unwell two hours ago." The family of Mr. A, a man in his 60s living in Taebaek, Gangwon Province, made the call out of concern.

Subsequently, Police Lieutenant In Kyung-jin (54) and Police Officer Lee Na-hee (28) from Jangseong Police Substation of Taebaek Police Station immediately headed to an apartment in Taebaek where Mr. A lived alone.

In Kyung-jin (54), Police Lieutenant (left), and Lee Na-hee (28), Police Sergeant. Provided by Jangseong Police Substation, Taebaek Police Station.

Although the lights were on inside the apartment, there was no sign of anyone, and multiple attempts to contact Mr. A failed, which raised suspicion. They requested joint assistance from the fire department and entered the apartment through a window to conduct a search.

However, Mr. A was nowhere to be found. Just as they were about to withdraw, one of them said, "It seems like no one is here, should we leave?" Then another said, "But what is that briquette gas smell?" Before leaving, they followed the strong smell of briquette gas filling the house. They checked a small briquette boiler room tucked away in a corner of the house and found Mr. A curled up and collapsed inside.

The firefighters who arrived on the scene safely transported Mr. A to a nearby hospital at around 10:12 p.m. on the same day. Mr. A, who had a pre-existing illness, was reported to have collapsed while replacing briquettes at home that day. Lieutenant In said, "It was a situation where his life could have been in danger," and added, "I feel proud to have saved his life." He also said, "We will continue to work hard so that local residents can live without worry."

Meanwhile, the day before, amidst nationwide heavy snow and cold waves, the good deed of a police officer in the Gangwon region was also reported. At around 11:36 a.m. on the 27th, a 90-year-old grandfather made an urgent call to the Hwacheon Police Station Sannae Substation, saying, "I have a bad cold and am feeling unwell, and with the heavy snow, I cannot go buy medicine. I need help." At that time, Hwacheon had heavy snowfall with more than 10 cm of snow accumulation.

The officers first headed to a duty pharmacy in the jurisdiction, which had been identified in advance for emergencies during the holiday period. After purchasing cold medicine requested by the grandfather with their own money, they traveled about 7 to 8 km to his home. However, due to the heavy snow, the patrol car could not enter the village, so they had to walk about 150 to 200 meters. Thanks to their efforts delivering the cold medicine through the snowfield in the severe cold and checking on heating and other inconveniences, the grandfather was able to avoid a critical situation.