Heroes, heart-wrenching stories go viral after Typhoon Hinnamnor

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

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Sat, September 30, 2023 | 21:20

Society

Heroes, heart-wrenching stories go viral after Typhoon Hinnamnor

Posted : 2022-09-07 16:15

Updated : 2022-09-08 13:35

Firefighters rescue residents from a flooded underground parking garage in Pohang, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon

Typhoon leaves 10 dead with 2 missing

By Lee Yeon-woo

Typhoon Hinnamnor wreaked havoc on the nation's southern region, toppling trees and flooding homes. As of Wednesday evening, 11 people were dead and one remains missing. As the rescue efforts continued, both heart-warming and heart-wrenching stories have caught the public's attention.

A 28-year-old heavy vehicle driver has been applauded by the public for having towed eight vehicles trapped in floodwaters in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province one of the cities hit hardest by the super typhoon. For his heroic deeds, he earned the nickname the "Aquaman of Gyeongju."

His real name is Gu Kang-min, a Gyeongju citizen who drives a heavy vehicle for a living. On Tuesday, he had a day off due to the typhoon, so he drove his own SUV around to look for anyone in distress. Due to his off-road driving hobby, he had all the gear necessary to offer help.

After about an hour, he found a driver trapped in a flooded vehicle and winched the car out to safety. He rescued a total of eight vehicles that day, ranging in size from small cars to recreational vehicles, from flooded roads near Gyeongbu Expressway.

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"I work as a driver so I understand the driver's mind more than anybody else. I couldn't just pass by cars and drivers in need of help. I think helping others grew into a habit thanks to the off-roading club I go to. I hope disasters like this won't happen again, but if they do, I will race to the scene," Gu said.

A person stuck in a flooded riverside area is rescued by firefighters in Ulsan, Tuesday. Yonhap

On Jeju Island, the so-called "Dump Truck Avengers," named after Marvel's popular "Avengers" characters, are the equivalent of Gyeongju's DC-inspired Aquaman.

They appeared on Monday in Seongsan, the easternmost region of the resort island. To prevent damage from heavy winds during the typhoon, several dump truck drivers parked in front of stores with large glass windows to cover them. The trucks were parked all day long on Monday when the winds were the strongest and moved to another place the day after.

Store owners said the damage would have been massive if the windows hadn't been shielded from the heavy rain and winds. But thanks to the trucks weighing more than 25 tons, those stores made it safely through the typhoon.

More heroic stories were reported in Seoul. Two police officers from Guro Police Station saved a woman trapped in Dorim Stream, Monday. Swept away by a sudden surge of water, she held tight to a big tree branch, with only her face and hands above the water when the police arrived at the scene. It took only six minutes for the police to receive a call to help the woman, police said.

Police in Seoul's Dongdaemun District also evacuated 15 residents successfully, Tuesday, right after they found out a wall had collapsed onto a gas pipeline. Staff from the gas distributor company cut off the gas supply and eliminated the chance of a gas leak after the residents were evacuated safely.

Firefighters rescue residents from a flooded underground parking garage in Pohang, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon

Together with heart-warming stories, there are also tragic stories that saddened the public.

Rescue workers have found nine missing people in the flooded underground parking garage of an apartment in the southern coastal city of Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. Two were alive and seven others were found dead. One of the survivors is a 52-year-old woman identified only by her surname Kim.

On Wednesday, she went down to the underground parking garage of her apartment after hearing an announcement that residents who parked their vehicles there should move them out. Her 15-year-old son followed her as he was concerned about her safety amid the heavy downpour. When the underground parking garage was flooded, she survived but her son was later found dead.

yanu@koreatimes.co.kr