"I Couldn't Leave the Elderly Man Behind"... Citizen Rescues Man Whose Legs Were Trapped in Manhole by Floodwaters

The Rescued Elderly Man's Family Repeatedly Expresses Gratitude

Amid continued reports of flooding damage caused by the extreme heavy rain that struck Gwangju Metropolitan City, the story of a citizen who rescued an elderly man swept away by floodwaters has come to light.

On July 19, Yonhap News reported the story of Choi Seungil (54), who runs an auto repair shop in Sotae-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City. Around 5 p.m. on July 17, torrential rain hit Gwangju, causing a nearby riverbank to collapse and floodwaters to rise in front of Choi's shop. While Choi and his employees were stacking sandbags to block the incoming water, he noticed the water was moving abnormally in the distance. Upon closer inspection, he saw an elderly man being swept away by the rainwater, with both legs trapped in a manhole and caught in the current.

As soon as Choi saw the elderly man, he immediately jumped into the raging water without hesitation. He managed to grab the man's arm and tried to pull him out with force, but it was no use. Choi recalled, "Even when I tried to pull him out, his legs were caught on something like asphalt and simply wouldn't come free. Most of all, his face was submerged, and he couldn't breathe properly," adding, "I thought I had to help him breathe first." Choi then spotted a wooden plank nearby and shouted to his employees to bring it over. Choi and his employees used the wide plank to temporarily divert the water, creating space for the elderly man to breathe.

As they were about to use tools from the shop to free the man's legs, a car began drifting toward them on the floodwaters. It was a dangerous moment for Choi as well, but the employees managed to stop the vehicle with all their strength, allowing the rescue to continue. Choi said, "I run an auto shop and enjoy working out, so I'm fairly strong, but even standing upright was difficult at the time," and added, "When the car was drifting toward us, I wondered if I might die too, but I couldn't leave the elderly man behind."

He suffered injuries from being hit by debris and tires, and at times his strength gave out, but after a desperate struggle lasting about 20 minutes, they were finally able to rescue the elderly man. Fortunately, the man's consciousness and breathing were intact. Choi and his employees brought him into the shop office to help him recover before handing him over to the 119 emergency rescue team.

The next day, the rescued man's family visited the shop in person to express their gratitude. Choi said, "I'm truly relieved the elderly man is safe. I felt a bit embarrassed when his family thanked me," and added, "Even if the same thing happened again, I think I would jump into the water without hesitation." He also said, "It might have seemed reckless, but I'm really grateful to the employees who helped with the rescue."