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Person drowns to death after misdirected emergency response in Cheongju

Published: 13 Jan. 2026, 20:46

The photo shows an ambulance. [JOONGANG ILBO]

A person died from drowning during a swimming lesson in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, following a misdirected emergency response due to confusion over the location.

According to police and fire authorities on Tuesday, a 119 emergency call was made at around 9:21 a.m. the previous day, reporting that the person had fallen into a pool inside a university.

The 119 emergency dispatch center, however, mistakenly directed paramedics to the main campus of a university in Naesu-eup, Cheongwon District, Cheongju. The paramedics arrived at the campus within seven minutes but could not locate a swimming pool. It was only after speaking with university staff that they realized they had been sent to the wrong location.

At 9:34 a.m., dispatchers sent a different paramedic team to the correct location in Yongjeong-dong, Sangdang District, Cheongju. They arrived eight minutes later and found the victim unresponsive. They were transported to a hospital but later pronounced dead.

The correct location had previously been operated under the university's name under a management agreement, which contributed to the confusion, authorities said.

The victim reportedly lost consciousness and collapsed during a swimming lesson.

Fire authorities are investigating the dispatch process to determine the exact circumstances and are also looking into whether the delay in response was a factor in the victim’s death.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]