The Identity of Three Foreign Heroes Who Saved 30 People in Itaewon: ‘US Forces Stationed in Korea’

20s Survivor Living in Cheongju "Looking for the Benefactor Who Saved Me Like Pulling Radishes from a Field" Tip
Testimony from US Military Interviewed by AFP on the 30th Matches the Situation

Lloyd Brown, Commander of the U.S. Forces Korea Yongsan Garrison, is paying his respects at the joint memorial altar for the victims of the Itaewon incident, set up at Itaewon Plaza in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 31st of last month. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The three foreigners who quietly disappeared after rescuing about 30 people and the arrival of the paramedics at the Itaewon disaster site were revealed to be U.S. military personnel stationed in Korea.

According to Yonhap News on the 3rd, a man in his 20s, Mr. A, living in Cheongju, Chungbuk, reported that he found the benefactors who saved him at the Itaewon disaster site. The benefactors are three U.S. soldiers?Jamil Taylor (40), Jerome Augusta (34), and Dane Vitard (32)?who serve at Camp Casey in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province.

Mr. A did not receive direct contact from them but became certain they were his rescuers after belatedly seeing their interview with AFP News Agency on the 30th of last month. A friend who knew Mr. A’s situation well first saw the AFP report and informed him. In an interview with Yonhap News, Mr. A said, "The Itaewon disaster situation and rescue activities described by the three U.S. soldiers in the interview exactly match what I experienced. They are definitely the people I have been looking for."

Previously, Mr. A’s escape story from the Itaewon disaster was widely publicized as a heartwarming case. On the 29th of last month, Mr. A, who had come to Itaewon with five friends to enjoy the Halloween festival, was trapped for about 15 minutes after falling in an alley next to the Hamilton Hotel, which was crowded with people. He testified that a strong-built Black man, who was 182 cm tall and weighed 96 kg like himself, pulled him out like pulling radishes from a field.

Taylor and the others said in their interview with AFP News Agency that they had visited Itaewon during their day off last weekend and also faced the disaster crisis but barely escaped to a railing beside an alley. Afterwards, they saw people trapped and began rescue efforts in earnest. Mr. A, the informant, also testified that after being rescued, they took him to a Japanese bar beside the alley. It is reported that they continued to save people at risk of suffocation afterward. They rescued those trapped until the 119 paramedics arrived and full-scale rescue operations began, evacuating them to nearby bars and clubs. The number of people they rescued is known to have reached about 30.

Vitard said, "We pulled people out all night long," and Taylor stated, "The disaster struck so quickly that we couldn’t do much." The three 'heroes' said, "We were lucky to survive."

Earlier, Mr. A searched all over YouTube and social networking services (SNS) to find them and express his gratitude but to no avail. Mr. A said, "The place where we were trapped was in the middle of the alley, so the paramedics were the last to approach, and the rescue was inevitably delayed. However, thanks to the U.S. soldiers’ active rescue efforts, the casualties were reduced." He added, "I want to meet those who helped me when they could have given up and sincerely thank them."

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