'A Miracle After 58 Hours'... Gyeonggi Northern Rescue Dog Daechan Finds Missing Elderly Man

Search and Rescue Dog Daechan of the Gyeonggi Northern 119 Special Response Team
Finds Missing Elderly Man Alive Within 30 Minutes of Arrival and Hands Over to Paramedics

The search and rescue dog "Daechan," belonging to the Northern 119 Special Response Team of the Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters, dramatically found and rescued a missing 74-year-old man in Yeoncheon County.

A search and rescue dog named Daechan, belonging to the Northern 119 Special Response Team of the Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters, dramatically found and rescued a missing 74-year-old man in Yeoncheon County. Provided by Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters

On the 13th at 4:33 a.m., firefighter Im Seonghee and handler (trainer) Kang Dongchan received a dispatch order to search for the missing person and headed to the scene, arriving at approximately 5:38 a.m. They began preparing for the search by checking information about the missing person and CCTV footage. The missing individual, who had mobility difficulties, had left home three days earlier and had not returned, prompting his older brother to report him missing to the police.

After the handler team arrived at the scene and focused their search on suspicious areas, the rescue dog Daechan showed a reaction at a specific spot around 6:11 p.m., about 30 minutes later. Upon investigation, the missing person was found to have fallen into a ditch and was calling for help. The situation was critical, and if the rescue had been delayed any further, he could have faced serious danger.

Appearance of rescue dog Daechan. Provided by Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters

The handler team immediately reported the situation via radio and requested paramedics and police. After checking the person's condition on site and providing first aid, paramedics and police arrived at 6:35 p.m. and transported the missing person to the hospital.

Choi Hyeonho, head of the Gyeonggi Northern 119 Special Response Team, stated, "It had been 58 hours since the person went missing, so if we had been even a little later, his life could have been in jeopardy. Thanks to the swift response of the rescue dog Daechan and the handler team, we were able to save a precious life. We will continue to strengthen our expertise in search and rescue to ensure the safety of residents."

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