[Provided by Gyeonggi Province]
[Provided by Gyeonggi Province]

Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae visited Gwangtan-ri Resort in Yongmun-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun on Tuesday to inspect operations of the 119 Citizens' Water Rescue Unit and assess emergency response readiness for water accidents.

At the resort, Choo received a briefing from the unit on staffing levels, patrol methods and emergency response procedures, and heard feedback from personnel at the scene.

She then observed a rescue demonstration organized by the Yangpyeong Fire Department, simulating the discovery of a drowning victim. The drill featured an unmanned surfboard designed for aquatic lifesaving and a fire department drone capable of transmitting live footage from disaster scenes and supporting rescue operations.

"The water recreation season has fully begun," Choo said. "I am sincerely grateful that the public and private sectors are working together with the resolve to protect the safety of our citizens and residents — every single one of them." She added that Tuesday's drill showed that swift rescues could protect the lives and safety of Gyeonggi residents.

The unmanned surfboard used in the demonstration can travel at up to 7 meters per second and tow loads of up to 1,000 kilograms. Equipped with a self-righting function that returns it upright even when capsized, the device can reach drowning victims quickly in situations where rescue personnel cannot approach directly.

The fire department drone can remain airborne for up to 29 minutes.

Gyeonggi Province is operating the 119 Citizens' Water Rescue Unit at 115 recreational water sites under the jurisdiction of 22 fire departments across the province from June 15 to Sept. 15 — a three-month deployment. Of those sites, 21 have permanently stationed rescue units while the remaining 94 are managed through regular patrols.


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