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South Korean men rescue elderly man trapped in floodwaters, suffer injuries from debris

Amid record-breaking rainfall in South Korea, two men in the city of Gwangju braved strong flood currents to rescue an elderly man trapped in a manhole.

Source: Angksaufrhd on X

The downpour, which lasted over five days, led to widespread flooding and landslides across the country, with at least 17 confirmed deaths and several people reported missing.

On 17 July, 54-year-old Choi Seung-il spotted the man — who might have become the 18th fatality — stranded on a heavily flooded street near his auto repair shop in Dong-gu.

Without hesitation, Mr Choi and his employees waded into the murky, fast-moving waters to save him.

Footage shows elderly man nearly submerged in floodwaters

Video footage posted online shows the man in a seated position, with his head barely above the raging waters.

Source: Angksaufrhd on X

Reports varied on whether the man had fallen into an open manhole or become stuck between broken asphalt.

Either way, his legs were lodged and he could not move.

Mr Choi tried to pull him out, but the man wouldn’t budge.

The footage shows Mr Choi and another man struggling to stay upright against the powerful current as they attempted the rescue.

Source: Angksaufrhd on X

At times, the water surged over the man’s head and shoulders, putting him at serious risk of drowning.

Mr Choi called out for a wooden board, which his staff quickly brought over.

He used it to divert the water away from the man’s face, giving him space to breathe.

Korean men battle floodwaters for 20 minutes

Midway through the rescue, a car swept along by the floodwaters drifted dangerously close.

Thankfully, Mr Choi’s employees managed to stop it in time.

After 20 minutes of physically draining effort, Mr Choi and his team successfully freed the man, who was then brought into the workshop and handed over to emergency responders.

Source: Angksaufrhd on X

He was later taken to hospital for treatment and was reported to be conscious and breathing.

Good Samaritan credits staff for support during rescue

Mr Choi sustained bruises from debris in the water and later sought treatment for a cold.

Source: Kyunghyang Shinmun

On 21 July, Gwangju City announced it would present him with an award for his actions.

The next day, the elderly man’s family visited the workshop to thank him in person.

Mr Choi said he was relieved the man was safe and expressed his gratitude to his staff for their help.

He added that if the same situation happened again, he would still jump in.

Also read: Delivery rider wades through knee-deep floodwaters in Bukit Timah to complete McDonald’s order

Delivery rider wades through knee-deep floodwaters in Bukit Timah to complete McDonald’s order

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