Family Car of Joyuna Found: Diver Battles in '30cm Visibility' Underwater

Day 3 of Search: Officer Park Cheol-seung Found at 10m Depth, 80m from Breakwater

After a 'thud' Hit His Head, He Intuited... Reaching Out with Both Arms in the Dark to 'Fumble' and Confirm

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] "Visibility 30 cm. You really can't see anything."

Sergeant Park Cheol-seung, who first discovered the family vehicle of 10-year-old Jo Yuna, who was asleep in the cold sea, recalled the moment like this.

Park Cheol-seung, an underwater forensic investigator belonging to the Gwangju Police Agency, found the vehicle (Audi A6) that Jo's family was riding in for the first time around 5:12 p.m. on the 29th, the third day after being dispatched to the scene.

At that time, the seawater was very murky, and even Sergeant Park, a veteran with over 7 years of diving experience, had a hard time.

Visibility was 30 cm. Even my hands groping forward could not be seen.

Moving in pairs, he cautiously advanced, relying on a lifeline connected to another investigator on the breakwater to avoid being swept away by the current, concentrating all his senses.

At a moment when he could not see an inch ahead and did not know how far he had moved, there was a 'thud' as something hit Sergeant Park's head.

Suddenly alert, Sergeant Park sensed something was there. Feeling with his hands and focusing, he faintly saw the shape of a car.

The underwater team had initially focused their search on Mulhataedo Port, but based on inquiry investigations, they judged that there was a high possibility of finding clues around Songgok Port, so they changed the search area from the 28th, the next day.

Just two days after the change, they finally found the desperately sought car underwater at a depth of 10 meters and 80 meters from the breakwater.

If a body is left in the sea for a long time and decomposes severely, it can be difficult to identify the person even through fingerprint and DNA tests. Therefore, the important thing now is whether there are occupants inside the vehicle.

Feeling relieved to have found it but also anxious, Sergeant Park began inspecting the vehicle.

At that time, the vehicle was overturned with the trunk open and embedded in the seabed. They immediately shone a light inside the vehicle, but due to the murky seawater and dark tinting, nothing could be confirmed.

They immediately came ashore, reported that the vehicle was found, and proceeded swiftly with verification of Jo's family vehicle, planning for salvage, and finally the salvage itself.

Sergeant Park said, "No words can console such a tragic death, but it is a small relief that we were able to find it in a short time."

Meanwhile, Jo's family left a pension in Sinji-myeon, Wando-gun, by car around 11 p.m. on the 30th of last month, and 6 minutes later, CCTV footage captured them heading toward the breakwater near Songgok Port, 3 km away.

Afterward, the mobile phone signals of Jo's family were cut off one after another, and after 29 days, they were found dead in the sea in front of Songgok Port.

The National Forensic Service's autopsy results were inconclusive, but the initial verbal opinion did not rule out drowning, and no special external injuries or signs of disease were found.

The police are also conducting a detailed examination of Jo's family vehicle, which was salvaged from the sea the day before, to check for any fall accidents or mechanical defects.

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