The National Fire Agency and the National Fire Research Institute said on the 24th they completed an inland-water demonstration test to verify whether breath-hold diving (freediving) can be applied at water-rescue scenes.
The demonstration test took place on the 23rd around Gungpyeong Reservoir in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, with about 30 participants, including researchers, 119 rescue workers, freediving experts and safety personnel.
In a reservoir environment rather than a swimming pool, the test evaluated: ▲ the ability to carry out underwater search tactics ▲ the impact of low water temperature and limited visibility on rescue ▲ the safety of rescue workers and the operability of equipment.
As a result, the National Fire Agency said it proved that the breath-hold diving technique—entering the water quickly with a single breath and no air tank—was highly effective in securing the golden time even in real-world conditions at water-accident scenes where every second counts.
Earlier, a basic test at the Central Fire Academy swimming pool was found to show that breath-hold diving can cut water-entry preparation time by more than 4 minutes compared with conventional scuba methods. It also increased rescue workers' average dive duration by about 41 seconds through training in specialized breathing techniques.
However, the National Fire Research Institute emphasized that breath-hold diving should not completely replace conventional scuba diving, but should be used as an "auxiliary rescue technique" for rapid initial access and lifesaving in the early stages of an incident.
The National Fire Research Institute said it will analyze the results of this demonstration test to develop "guidelines for water-rescue operations based on breath-hold diving" and review the design of specialized training courses for rescue workers.