【브레이크뉴스 포항】박영재 기자=동해지방해양경찰청(청장 김성종)이 설 연휴 마지막 날인 지난 1월 30일 속초항 북동방 102km 공해상에서 국제여객선에 탑승했던 응급환자를 긴급 이송해 소중한 생명을 구한 사실이 뒤늦게 알려졌다.

10일, 동해해경청에 따르면 임성호씨(남, 60세, 선교사, 현재 구미)는 러시아 연해주에서 선교사로 활동하는 교민으로 고국인 한국으로 병원 진료차 국제여객선을 타고 오는 중 동해 망망대해에서 급성 심근경색이 발병돼 생명이 위험한 상황이였다.

이에 동해해경청은 지휘부 상황판단회의 후 당일 악 기상 속에서도 위험을 무릎쓰고 곧바로 양양항공대 소속 헬기를 현장으로 급파해 환자와 보호자를 헬기로 신속히 구조했다.

동해해경청은 헬기 기내에서 해경 구급대원이 환자 상태를 살피고 응급조치를 하며 약 30분간 운항해 육지 대형병원으로 안전하게 이송했다. 환자는 이후 긴급수술 등을 받고 회복돼 현재는 안정을 찾고 정상적인 생활을 하고 있다.

임성호씨는 사건발생 "2주전 부터 몸상태가 좋지 않아 한국 병원에 진료를 예약하고 귀국중 동해 망망대해에서 급성 심근경색이 발병돼 위험한 상황에서 동해해경청이 신속하게 구조해줘 살수 있었다"고 말했다.

당시 임씨는 "여객선안에서 주기적으로 증상이 나타나 비상약을 먹으면서 견뎌왔지만 더 이상 약이 듣지 않아 이대로 죽는구나 하는 순간 고국인 동해바다에 진입한 후 꿈만같이 대한민국 해양경찰이 헬기를 보내줘 다시 한번 살 수 있었다"며 고마움을 표시했다.

이와관련, 이동명 러시아 연해주 한인회장은 동해해경청에 감사장을 보내 “연해주 한인사회에서는 대한민국의 해양경찰 구조작전에 깊은 감동을 받았고 거친 바다에서 신속하고 침착하게 구조해준 동해 해양경찰 여러분들께  깊이 감사드린다”고 말했다.

김성종 동해해경청장은 "국민의 생명과 해양 안전을 지키는 것이 우리의 사명이고 이와 같은 사건이 많았지만 이번 사례를 통해 해양경찰의 역할과 중요성이 다시 한번 조명됐으면 좋겠다"며  "국민의 안전을 위해 지속적으로 노력하겠다"고 밝혔다.

한편, 동해해경청 항공단은 해상 응급환자 이송, 해양사고 대응 등 다양한 임무를 수행하며 국민의 생명과 동해바다를 지키는 중요한 역할을 하고 있다.  2024년 4명, 2023년 6명의 선박 응급환자를 헬기로 긴급 이송해 국적을 불문하고 소중한 생명을 전원 구조한바 있다.

<구글 번역으로 번역한 영문 기사의 전문 입니다. 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 밝힙니다.>

East Sea Coast Guard, quick transfer of Korean resident in Primorsky Krai, Russia, saves life....

[Break News Pohang] Reporter Park Young-jae = It was belatedly revealed that the East Sea Regional Coast Guard (Chief Kim Seong-jong) saved a precious life by quickly transferring an emergency patient who had boarded an international passenger ship 102km northeast of Sokcho Port on January 30, the last day of the Lunar New Year holiday.

According to the East Sea Coast Guard on the 10th, Mr. Lim Seong-ho (male, 60 years old, missionary, currently in Gumi) was a Korean resident working as a missionary in Primorsky Krai, Russia, and was in a life-threatening situation after suffering an acute myocardial infarction in the vast East Sea while on an international passenger ship to his home country of Korea for medical treatment.

In response, the East Sea Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter belonging to Yangyang Aviation Corps to the scene immediately after a command situation assessment meeting despite the bad weather that day, and quickly rescued the patient and his guardian by helicopter.

The East Sea Coast Guard helicopter had the Coast Guard paramedics check the patient's condition and provide emergency treatment, and safely transported him to a large hospital on land for about 30 minutes. The patient later received emergency surgery and recovered, and is now stable and living a normal life.

Mr. Lim Seong-ho said, "I had been in poor health for two weeks, so I made an appointment at a Korean hospital and was returning home when I had an acute myocardial infarction in the vast East Sea. I was in a dangerous situation, and the East Sea Coast Guard quickly rescued me, so I was able to survive."

At the time, Mr. Lim said, "I had symptoms periodically appearing on the passenger ship, so I endured them by taking emergency medication, but the medication was no longer working, and I thought I was going to die. At that moment, after entering the East Sea, my home country, the South Korean Coast Guard sent a helicopter, and I was able to live again, as if in a dream." He expressed his gratitude.

In relation to this, Lee Dong-myeong, the head of the Korean Association in Primorsky Krai, sent a letter of appreciation to the East Sea Coast Guard, saying, “The Korean community in Primorsky Krai was deeply moved by the rescue operation of the Republic of Korea Coast Guard, and we express our deepest gratitude to the East Sea Coast Guard for their swift and calm rescue in the rough seas.”

Kim Seong-jong, the head of the East Sea Coast Guard, said, “Protecting the lives of the people and maritime safety is our mission, and although there have been many incidents like this, I hope that this case will once again highlight the role and importance of the Coast Guard,” and added, “We will continue to work for the safety of the people.”

Meanwhile, the East Sea Coast Guard Aviation Unit is playing an important role in protecting the lives of the people and the East Sea by performing various missions such as transporting emergency patients at sea and responding to marine accidents. In 2024, four ship emergency patients were transported by helicopter, and in 2023, six ship emergency patients were transported by helicopter, rescuing all precious lives regardless of nationality.