"My Body Moved on Its Own"...Rookie Police Officer Saves a Life in the Subway

Citizen Who Lost Consciousness on Subway Due to Blocked Airway Saved by CPR
Rookie Officer with Just Six Months on the Force... "I Now Feel an Even Stronger Sense of Responsibility"

Hwang Namhee (second from left), a police officer, and the family members of the citizen who regained consciousness after CPR. Yonhap News

A story has emerged about a rookie police officer who saved a citizen who lost consciousness and collapsed in the subway by performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

According to Yonhap News, Police Officer Hwang Namhee (32), a probationary officer assigned to the Samcheong Police Box of the Jongno Police Station in Seoul, was on her way home on her day off at around 7 p.m. on February 21, taking the subway. Just as she was about to get off at Dongmyo Station and stepped onto the platform, she heard a loud thud from inside the train as someone collapsed. Sensing that it was an emergency, Officer Hwang immediately got back on the train and checked the condition of the fallen man, identified as Mr. A.

At the time, Mr. A was in critical condition, with his airway blocked by vomit and with no consciousness or breathing. Officer Hwang tried to open his mouth to secure his airway, but his jaw joint was so severely stiffened that even this was difficult.

After asking nearby passengers to call 119, Officer Hwang laid Mr. A down and began performing CPR. After about 15 chest compressions, the vomit blocking his airway was expelled from his mouth. Thanks to the rapid emergency response within the "golden hour," he was able to regain consciousness and start breathing again. Officer Hwang then got off with Mr. A at the next station, Sinseoldong Station, and handed him over to the 119 emergency crew.

On February 23, two days later, Mr. A visited the Samcheong Police Box in person with his family to express his gratitude to Officer Hwang. A rookie officer who has been on the force for just half a year since her appointment, Officer Hwang said, "Because I have repeatedly trained and exchanged feedback on how to respond step by step in emergencies, my body moved on its own." She added, "When Mr. A and his son thanked me, I felt very proud and it made me feel an even stronger sense of responsibility as a police officer."