Asan fire department deployed safety equipment immediately after receiving call; woman fell as firefighters attempted to open door; taken to hospital after emergency treatment

A woman who had been hanging from a 7th-floor railing at an apartment in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, fell on June 23 but was rescued after landing on an air mattress that firefighters had set up in advance. [Asan Fire Department]
A woman who had been hanging from a 7th-floor railing at an apartment in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, fell on June 23 but was rescued after landing on an air mattress that firefighters had set up in advance. [Asan Fire Department]

A woman who fell from a 7th-floor railing at an apartment in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, survived after landing on an air mattress that firefighters had deployed in anticipation of a fall.

The Asan Fire Department said Friday that a report came in at around 9:15 p.m. on June 23 that "a person is hanging from an apartment balcony railing."

Firefighters from the Sinchang 119 Safety Center, including Fire Lieutenant Jang Seok-sil, arrived first and confirmed that a woman was clinging to the railing of an outdoor air conditioning unit on the 7th floor. Judging that a fall was likely, they immediately spread an air mattress on the ground below.

When additional firefighters arrived and attempted to open the apartment door to reach her, the woman fell. She landed on the air mattress already in place, cushioning the impact.

Paramedics at the scene assessed her injuries — including lacerations to her arm — administered emergency treatment and transported her to a nearby hospital. Because a fall can occur even while rescue teams are still approaching in high-rise emergencies, preemptively deploying ground safety equipment is considered a critical response procedure.

"Thanks to the team's swift deployment of the air mattress and their coordinated response, we were able to save a precious life," Asan Fire Department chief Park Jong-in said. "We will continue to maintain thorough emergency readiness and do our utmost to protect the safety of our citizens."


kwater@heraldcorp.com