'Missing in the Rain' 90-Year-Old Grandmother Dramatically Rescued After 40 Hours Watched Over by White Dog

Grandmother Found Due to Pet Dog's Elevated Body Temperature

Photo by Chungnam Hongseong-gun

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Yeeun] A woman in her 90s who went missing on a rainy day safely returned home after two days with the help of her pet dog.

According to Hongseong County and Chungnam Police, a woman in her 90s living in Songchon Village, Hongseong County, Chungnam, went missing after leaving her home in the early morning of the 25th of last month. Immediately after the woman went missing, a joint search team consisting of police, neighborhood watch, and villagers searched the surrounding area, but the rain that had fallen since dawn made the search difficult.

Eventually, on the day after the disappearance, the 26th, the Chungnam Police Agency deployed a drone and was able to find the woman in a field in Seobu-myeon. The woman was found together with her pet dog, "Baekgu."

The place where the woman was found was about 2 km away from her home, and the police estimated through nearby closed-circuit television (CCTV) that Ms. Kim left her house between midnight and 2 a.m. on the 25th.

Due to the rain the previous day, the woman’s body temperature dropped and she became exhausted. Although the thermal camera on the drone deployed by the police did not properly detect her vital signs, Baekgu’s high body temperature was displayed in a dark color on the thermal camera, making it easy to spot.

A police official said, "Because the woman was lying in water, her body temperature was not accurately displayed, but Baekgu’s high body temperature next to her was shown strongly, making it easier to find them."

The woman, who collapsed while walking along a rice paddy embankment in the rain early in the morning, was able to safely return to her family after two days thanks to Baekgu, whose warm body temperature stayed by her side for about 40 hours.

Meanwhile, Baekgu, who was a stray dog, formed a bond with the woman’s family three years ago when they saved him from danger after being bitten by a large dog. The woman’s family said, "We were heartbroken as the disappearance lasted long in the rainy weather. We are grateful that Baekgu repaid the kindness of saving him, and we will take better care of him."

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