Around 3:00 p.m. that day, the tourist was playing in the water with her daughters at Naksan Beach when she was swept away by a wave and drifted far out to sea. A bystander who witnessed the incident jumped into the water to rescue her, but the situation became critical as the rescuer also found themselves in danger. Officers from the Naksan Substation of the Sokcho Coast Guard, who responded immediately upon receiving the report, donned rescue gear, jumped into the water, and carried out a swift rescue operation, bringing both the tourist and the citizen safely back to the beach.
The rescued American tourist sent an email requesting, “I’m sorry I don’t know your names, but please be sure to convey my highest praise and sincere gratitude to the officer who rescued me personally, as well as to the other officers and paramedics who responded to the scene.” At the same time, he expressed his apologies for putting others in danger due to his own reckless behavior.
The 1330 Tourism Complaint Center, operated by the Corporation, is open year-round and provides service in eight languages: Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, and Indonesian. In addition to providing tourist information, the center assists with responding to emergencies during travel and overcoming language barriers. This year, 34 heartwarming stories have been reported. The center also serves as a channel for sharing heartwarming stories from across Korea, such as a case where a Chinese tourist facing an emergency due to abdominal pain was helped, and another where a traveler expressed gratitude to the person who returned a cell phone left behind in a taxi.
