Dog saves master in freezing weather

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Sat, December 9, 2023 | 03:46

Dog saves master in freezing weather

풍산개가 길 잃은 치매노인 살렸다

Posted : 2012-01-16 18:05

Updated : 2012-01-16 18:05

A two-month-old puppy has saved the life of its 85-year-old master who was losing consciousness on a mountainside in sub-zero weather.

Baekgu

By Kim Rahn

A two-month-old puppy has saved the life of its 85-year-old master who was losing consciousness on a mountainside in sub-zero weather.

The owner, surnamed Lee, left his home in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, at around 4 p.m. on Thursday. The puppy, named Baekgu meaning white dog, followed him on its first outing, according to the police.

As the elderly man with dementia didn’t return home as the sun set, Lee’s wife informed her son who then called the police.

After searching for two hours, police and Lee’s family found him on a mountain about 300 meters away from his home at 9:20 p.m. Lee, wearing only a shirt, pants and vest in the cold temperature, was about to lose consciousness and was suffering from hypothermia.

When found, Baekgu was lying on the old man’s stomach, trying to keep him warm, the family and police said. Lee was transferred to hospital and discharged the next day.

“Lee said he didn’t remember how he got up the mountain. He said he was lying on the ground and was going to sleep but the dog kept biting him, licking his face and running up and down his belly, preventing him from falling asleep,” a police officer at Gangnueng Police Agency said.

“A cold spell warning was issued in Gangneung that day. Without the puppy, Lee might not have survived,” he said.

Lee’s son said before that day Baekgu had never gone that far from the house but followed the elderly man who had been feeding him, adding they would keep the puppy with them forever.

Bloggers are calling it a modern version of “The Dog in Osu” — a folktale about a dog from Osu, North Jeolla Province, that saves its master, after he fell into a drunken sleep in a field that catches fire, by putting out the flames by rolling over them having wet its fur in a nearby stream.

풍산개가 길 잃은 치매노인 살렸다
생후 2개월 된 풍산개가 길 잃은 80대 노인을 구한 사실이 알려져 뒤늦게 화제가 되고 있다. 강원 강릉경찰서는 지난 12일 오후 9시20분께 강릉시 청량동 한 야산 능선에 쓰러져 있던 이모(85)씨를 발견해 구조했다고 16일 밝혔다. 평소 치매 증세가 심한 이씨는 지난 12일 오후 4시께 집을 나섰다가 해가 질 무렵까지 귀가하지 않았다. 이에 할머니는 오후 6시께 시내에 사는 아들에게 알렸고 아들은 경찰에 미귀가 신고를 했다. 경찰은 이씨 가족과 집 근처를 2시간여 동안 뒤졌지만 이씨의 종적을 찾을 수 없었고, 수색 범위를 넓힌 경찰은 300여m 떨어진 야산에서 저체온증으로 의식이 혼미해져 가는 이씨를 발견해 병원으로 옮겼다. 발견 당시 경찰과 가족들은 생후 2개월 된 풍산개가 저체온증으로 서서히 의식을 잃어가던 이씨의 몸을 녹여주고 있는 모습을 보고 깜짝 놀랐다. 당시 체감기온 영하 10도를 육박하는 상황에서 이 풍산개가 없었다면 저체온증으로 큰 변을 당할 수도 있는 상황이었다. 한편 이씨는 병원으로 옮겨져 치료를 받은 뒤 하루만에 건강한 모습으로 퇴원했다.

rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr

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