Emergency Landing of Firefighting Helicopter Near Jirisan Cheonwangbong... Two Seriously Injured Including Patient Being Rescued (Update)

On the morning of the 1st, a helicopter engaged in a rescue operation near Cheonwangbong Peak of Jirisan in Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam, suddenly made an emergency landing. The photo shows the accident helicopter.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] On the afternoon of the 1st, at around 12:06 PM, a firefighting helicopter that was conducting a rescue operation near Jirisan Cheonwangbong in Jungsan-ri, Sicheon-myeon, Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam, made an emergency landing, resulting in two people, including a patient and a guardian, sustaining serious injuries.

According to the firefighting authorities, the accident helicopter departed from the Aviation Rescue Unit in Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam, at around 11:28 AM after receiving a mountain accident rescue request.

It then arrived at a point 400 to 500 meters in the direction of Beopgyesa Temple from Jirisan Cheonwangbong at around 12:00 PM and began rescue operations.

The helicopter hovered low in the air and attempted to rescue the stranded person by lowering a stretcher for patient transport using a hoist (a small crane), but it appears that the helicopter suddenly descended downward and made an emergency landing while rescuing the patient.

A Fire Agency official stated, "It is understood that the helicopter made an emergency landing suddenly rather than crashing, and the aircraft was not significantly damaged."

At the time of the accident, five firefighting personnel, including the pilot, co-pilot, mechanic, rescue team member, and paramedic, were on board the helicopter, but none were seriously injured. However, the patient being rescued was in cardiac arrest, and it is presumed that one member of the patient's party below was seriously injured after failing to avoid the falling helicopter.

The patient initially being rescued was transferred again to Gyeongsang National University Hospital by the Central 119 Rescue Headquarters helicopter, and the injured party was also being transported by a helicopter dispatched from the Daegu Fire Headquarters.

The firefighting helicopter involved in the accident was a Sikorsky S-76 model leased from the private sector, capable of carrying up to 14 people.

The firefighting authorities have established an on-site command post at the Gyeongnam Nature Learning Center in Jungsan-ri and are managing the accident response.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.