It became known on the 14th that Marine Police Sergeant Lee Jae-seok, 34, who died after rescuing a Chinese national stranded on a tidal flat, had survived in the sea for about 30 minutes until going missing.
According to patrol drone footage released by the Coast Guard that day, Sergeant Lee met A, a Chinese national in his 70s who was stranded on the tidal flat on Yeongheung Island in Ongjin County, Incheon, at about 2:54 a.m. on the 11th. After that, Lee tried to carry A, who had difficulty moving due to a foot injury, on his back but failed.
In the end, Lee took off his own life jacket and handed it to A, then took his gloves from his pocket and put them on A's injured foot, and held hands and walked toward land.
However, about eight minutes later, at around 3:02 a.m., the water, which had been up to his waist, surged up to his chin in an instant. In the strong current, Lee lost A's hand and drifted away.
Lee's last appearance was filmed about 33 minutes after meeting A, at around 3:27 a.m. He fought for his life, moving his feet while gripping a radio and a lantern tightly in both hands, but after that moment, no further images of him were recorded.
The situation room at the Incheon Maritime Police Station reportedly received the missing-person report only around 3:30 a.m., then requested aircraft deployment from the Central Regional Coast Guard Headquarters and dispatched vessels and rescue teams to the scene.
Earlier, at 2:43 a.m., before meeting A, Lee told the police substation's on-duty Head of Team, "The water is rising, so I think we may need to send in a few more people." However, no particular action was taken.
Then at 2:56 a.m., Lee said, "The person to be rescued says he cannot move because his foot is cut, so I will take off and give him my life jacket to get him out, and the water is up to about my waist." Even then, no additional personnel were sent to the scene.
Lee eventually went missing at sea and was found in cardiac arrest in waters near Kkotseom in Yeongheung-myeon, Ongjin County. He was transported to a hospital but died.