Korean firefighters save driver in U.S. highway accident

Korean firefighters training in the United States quickly responded to a highway crash, rushing to rescue a trapped driver, officials said.

South Korea’s National Fire Agency said the crash happened around 10:50 p.m. local time June 13 on Interstate 76 near Denver, Colorado. Two vehicles collided, sending a red pickup truck airborne before it rolled several times.

Five firefighters from the Central 119 Rescue Headquarters, returning to their lodging after training, witnessed the crash. They quickly pulled over to the shoulder and rushed to the scene. “The truck flew up and landed about 20 centimeters in front of our car," Fire Chief Lee Ki-pyeong, 39, said. "We all jumped out at the same time as if we had agreed on it.”

After calling 911, the team entered the overturned truck through the rear window and pulled out an unconscious man in his 70s who was not breathing. Although they wore shorts and had no rescue equipment, no one hesitated. They performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the scene in an urgent effort to save him. The rescue team included Lee Ki-pyeong, Pyeon Yeong-beom, Jo In-seong, and Kim Yeong-jin from Central 119 Rescue Headquarters, and Kim Gu-hyeon from the Jeonnam Fire Department.

Although the patient did not regain consciousness, the Adams County Fire Department in Colorado praised the Korean firefighters on its official social media on June 15. The post called their swift and calm response “textbook behavior every firefighter should emulate,” adding that “effective rescue was possible thanks to rapid CPR and on-scene control.”

Lee told The Dong-A Ilbo on June 17 that local firefighters expressed admiration after seeing the news, but he said, “We just did what anyone should do.”


전혜진기자 sunrise@donga.com