Sergeant Jae Seok Lee's Final Radio Transmission
It has been determined that Sergeant Jae Seok Lee (34) of the Coast Guard, who died in the line of duty while rescuing a Chinese man in his 70s stranded on a mudflat, had expressed the need for additional personnel at the substation prior to the incident. The bereaved family is demanding a thorough investigation, claiming that the Coast Guard failed to adhere to the 'two-person team dispatch' principle.
According to the radio communication transcripts from the Yeongheung Police Substation of the Incheon Coast Guard on the 14th, Sergeant Lee responded alone to the scene at around 2:07 a.m. on the 11th after receiving a request for confirmation from a drone patrol company. He made his first radio call to the substation at 2:16 a.m.
Sergeant Jae Seok Lee, who belonged to the Yeongheung Police Substation of the Incheon Coast Guard, is seen giving a life jacket to a person in their 70s stranded on the mudflat near Kkotseom, Yeongheung-myeon, Ongjin-gun, Incheon, on the morning of the 11th. Incheon Coast Guard
When Team Leader B, who was on duty with him, asked, "Do you have to go all the way to Kkotseom yourself?" Sergeant Lee replied, "The person in need at Kkotseom has taken off his top and is sitting down, so I think I need to go in person and get him out."
Sergeant Lee then reported, "The drone company told Mr. A several times to leave, but he said he couldn't because it was too difficult." After arriving at the scene alone in a patrol car, he reported again, "I have confirmed Mr. A and I think I need to enter the water."
At 2:54 a.m., ten minutes later, Sergeant Lee radioed that he had "met the person in need." At 2:56 a.m., he said, "The person says he can't move because his foot is cut, so I will take off my life jacket and help him escape. The water is up to about waist level."
In response to the message, "Please evacuate quickly," Sergeant Lee replied, "I will pull the cord on the life jacket to help him move." At the time, the life jacket was of a type that inflates like a tube when the cord is pulled. There was no further radio communication for the next 17 minutes.
It was not until 3:14 a.m. that the substation called out the sergeant's name over the radio, saying, "If you can talk or communicate, please contact us at any time."
Sergeant Lee was found in cardiac arrest near Kkotseom, Yeongheung-myeon, Ongjin-gun, Incheon, at around 9:41 a.m. on the same day.
It was determined that other staff from the Yeongheung Police Substation did not head to the scene until around 3:09 a.m., only after receiving a request for support from the drone company, which reported that "the water level is very high."
The bereaved family is urging a thorough investigation, claiming that the Coast Guard violated the 'two-person team dispatch' manual.
Article 37, Paragraph 3 of the Rules on the Operation of Police Substations and Branch Offices stipulates that, except in unavoidable circumstances, patrol cars must be boarded by at least two people as a principle.
The Coast Guard stated, "We have formed a fact-finding team consisting of six external experts," and added, "We will provide full support to ensure that the investigation into the suspicions raised by the bereaved family is conducted transparently and without any doubts."
The fact-finding team is scheduled to operate for about two weeks, from the 15th to the 26th.
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