Three-member team finds collapsed man in his 70s during illegal vendor crackdown; CPR and heart medication administered before paramedics arrive

The scene where a baseball fan was rescued outside Jamsil Baseball Stadium. [Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government]
The scene where a baseball fan was rescued outside Jamsil Baseball Stadium. [Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government]

A vendor patrol team from the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Sports Facility Management Office saved an elderly man who suddenly collapsed outside Jamsil Baseball Stadium, where a packed crowd had gathered for a weekend game.

According to the Sports Facility Management Office, the three-member team was patrolling near Exit 5 of Sports Complex Station on June 21 at around 4:30 p.m., ahead of a professional baseball game between Doosan and LG, when they found an unidentified man in his 70s lying unconscious on the ground.

The area was crowded with fans heading to the game. The man, wearing an LG Twins uniform, was later confirmed to have a pre-existing heart condition.

The team members immediately checked the man's consciousness and breathing. He was barely conscious but his breathing was severely unstable, making it a critical situation where a delay could have cost him his life. All three members had completed formal first-aid and CPR training, and they quickly divided responsibilities and launched emergency care.

Team member Lee Jung-su began chest compressions to stabilize the man's breathing and continued massaging him to prevent a complete loss of consciousness. Team member Kim Jae-young helped administer the man's heart medication by placing the pills in his mouth. Team member Kim Young-il cleared a path through the crowd to secure ambulance access, allowing paramedics to reach the scene quickly.

Thanks to the team's swift initial response, the man recovered his breathing before paramedics arrived. He was handed over to the emergency crew in stable condition and has since made a full recovery.

The vendor patrol team, operated by the Sports Facility Management Office, works to protect public safety and maintain a comfortable environment around Jamsil Baseball Stadium by cracking down on illegal vendors and ticket scalpers from about four hours before each professional baseball game until roughly one hour after it ends. The office has maintained a cooperative framework with the Songpa Police Station under an MOU signed in 2012 to uphold public order in the area.

Kang Nam-tae, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Sports Facility Management Office, said the team members "stayed calm under pressure and acted quickly to save a citizen's precious life."


ikson@heraldcorp.com