A fact-finding team has officially begun its investigation to determine the cause of the accident that claimed the life of the late Sergeant Jae Seok Lee (34), who died while rescuing an elderly man stranded in a tidal flat.
The Korea Coast Guard announced that the "Yeongheungdo Police Officer Line-of-Duty Death Fact-Finding Team" will begin its activities on September 15. The team consists of six external experts, and the team leader is also an external appointee.
Oh Sangkwon, Commissioner of the Central Regional Coast Guard Headquarters, is scheduled to announce the agency's official stance on the fact-finding investigation plan immediately after Sergeant Lee's funeral on this day.
The fact-finding team plans to thoroughly investigate the circumstances under which Sergeant Lee was dispatched to the scene alone, as well as the reasons for the delayed deployment of additional personnel from the police substation and the delayed reporting to the situation room.
At the time, the Yeongheung Police Substation of the Incheon Coast Guard Station was found to have failed to follow its internal regulation of "two-person dispatch." According to the Korea Coast Guard directive, "Substation and Outpost Operation Rules," patrol cars are required to carry at least two officers except in unavoidable circumstances.
However, at approximately 2:07 a.m. on September 11, Sergeant Lee received a report from a drone patrol company that a person was sitting in the tidal flat and responded to the scene alone. There were six officers on duty at the substation at the time, four of whom were reportedly on break.
Nevertheless, even during break time, two officers are required to respond together to an incident, and there are concerns that it was problematic for Sergeant Lee to respond alone when two officers were on duty.
Additionally, at around 2:44 a.m., Sergeant Lee reported to Team Leader A that "the water is rising to ankle level and additional personnel may be needed," but no other officers from the Yeongheung Substation were immediately dispatched. After Sergeant Lee stated at 2:56 a.m. that "the water is rising to waist level," radio contact was lost at 3:06 a.m. Three minutes later, when the drone company requested support, only then did the officers head to the scene.
A Korea Coast Guard official stated, "We are operating a fact-finding team composed of external experts to ensure an objective and accurate investigation into all suspicions and questions related to Sergeant Lee's line-of-duty accident," adding, "We will provide full support to ensure the investigation is conducted transparently and without any unresolved questions."
On September 11, at approximately 3:30 a.m., Sergeant Lee went missing while attempting to rescue a Chinese national in his 70s, identified as Mr. B, who had become stranded by the rising tide while collecting shellfish in the tidal flat of Yeongheungdo, Ongjin County, Incheon. It was determined that Sergeant Lee gave his own life jacket to Mr. B, who had injured his foot, and helped him put on patrol gloves before attempting to swim to safety together, during which he went missing.
Sergeant Lee was found in cardiac arrest at 9:41 a.m. that day, 1.4 kilometers offshore from Kkotseom, Yeongheung-myeon, and was transported to a hospital by emergency responders, but was pronounced dead.
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