Marathon Participant Collapses Suddenly... Police and Public Officials Restore Breathing with CPR

Suspected Cardiac Arrest During Hapcheon County Residents' Sports Festival Marathon
Sergeant Kwon Haesul and Officer Kim Sanggyu Administer CPR
Officer Yoon Inha Provides Emergency AED Treatment

At approximately 2:00 p.m. on September 14, a participant collapsed on the road in front of Hapcheon Public Stadium during the marathon held as part of the Hapcheon County Residents' Sports Festival in South Gyeongsang Province.

Yoon Inha, an officer from the Hapcheon County Health Center, who was following at the rear of the marathon course in an ambulance vehicle to prepare for emergencies, discovered the participant. Upon checking the patient's condition, Yoon found the individual was unresponsive and not breathing—an urgent situation suspected to be cardiac arrest.

[Photo provided by Hapcheon County] Sergeant Kwon Haesul of the Central Precinct of Hapcheon Police Station, security officer Kim Sanggyu from the Administrative Division of Hapcheon County, and officer Yoon Inha administered first aid to a participant who collapsed from cardiac arrest during the Hapcheon County Residents' Sports Festival marathon event. The photo shows their portraits.

Sergeant Kwon Haesul, Team 3 Leader of the Jungbu District Police Station at Hapcheon Police Station, who was at the scene, immediately began administering CPR to the fallen participant.

Kim Sanggyu, Civil Police Officer from the Hapcheon County Administration Department and a marathon participant, also verified the situation, rushed over and joined the emergency response efforts. Sergeant Kwon and Officer Kim took turns performing chest compressions.

During this time, Officer Yoon retrieved an automated external defibrillator (AED) from the health center's ambulance and applied it to the participant. While the police officer and municipal staff coordinated to continue CPR and AED-based emergency treatment, the situation was also relayed to the 119 emergency response team.

As the emergency treatment continued, the participant's condition showed improvement. According to Hapcheon County, the individual regained spontaneous breathing at the scene.

Subsequently, the 119 rescue team arrived at the scene, took over the patient, and transported them to Samsung Hapcheon Hospital. The participant is currently receiving treatment for facial abrasions and minor fractures, believed to have been sustained in the fall; county officials have stated that the patient is not in any life-threatening condition at this time.

The incident occurred suddenly in front of participants and event staff. However, with the immediate actions of the police and public officials, as well as the swift deployment of the AED from the health center's ambulance, emergency efforts continued without interruption.

Hapcheon County noted that the delegation of roles—from the initial discovery and CPR, to AED application and handover to the 119 team—contributed significantly to the success of the initial emergency response.

Kim Yuncheol, Governor of Hapcheon County, stated, "I would like to thank the police officers and county staff who carried out emergency care at the scene," adding, "We will continue to review and strengthen our cooperation system with relevant agencies to ensure we respond rapidly to emergencies, especially during sports events with high public participation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.