Student Found in Cardiac Arrest After Seven Children Fall Into Hantan River
Six primary school students escaped unharmed after seven children fell into the Hantan River in Yeoncheon, while rescuers found the remaining student in cardiac arrest and took the child to a hospital.
A primary school student was found in cardiac arrest and taken to a hospital Wednesday after seven children fell into the Hantan River in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi Province, according to local fire authorities.
The incident was reported at about 3:08 p.m. in the Jeongok-eup area of Yeoncheon. The children had reportedly gone to the river after school and were playing in the water when they fell in.
Six of the students were able to get out of the water on their own. Emergency responders checked them and found no apparent abnormalities before releasing them to their guardians. The seventh child remained missing, prompting police and firefighters to begin a broader search of the river.
The Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters mobilized 32 personnel and 11 pieces of equipment after receiving a call that children appeared to have fallen into the water. Water-rescue crews and four drones were used as the operation continued.
At approximately 4:45 p.m., rescuers conducting an underwater search located the missing student. The child was in cardiac arrest and was transported to a hospital. No further information about the student’s condition was immediately available.
Police were interviewing witnesses to determine how the accident occurred. Authorities had not announced additional findings about the sequence of events or the conditions in the river at the time of the incident.
The emergency unfolded over roughly an hour and a half, from the first report to the recovery of the missing child. The six other students were reunited with their guardians after being assessed, while investigators continued gathering accounts from people at the scene.
Officials had not released the identities or ages of the children beyond describing them as primary school students. The account available Wednesday evening also did not specify whether adults were present when the group entered the water.
The Hantan River runs through northern Gyeonggi Province, including Yeoncheon, before joining the Imjin River. The accident occurred in Jeongok-eup, a township within Yeoncheon County north of Seoul. Authorities did not immediately provide further details about the precise location along the river or whether access to the area would be restricted during the investigation.