Veteran Fireman Dies in Rescue Effort

“I have always been proud of my father. When I told him not to go into dangerous places, he held my hand and told me that he cannot turn back when there is even just a sliver of hope,” said a daughter (aged 32) of a fireman, crying.

A senior fireman, whose retirement is just a month away (December 31), was silent at a funeral home in Baptist Hospital in Busan.

Fire lieutenant Seo Byung-gil (aged 57) of a firefighting unit in Geumjeong-gu, Busan was found dead, despite the many prayers of families and friends, after he was buried alive under rubbles at a gas explosion site on Tuesday.

The fire department received an emergency call at 7:52 p.m. on Wednesday. Lieutenant Seo arrived at the accident scene in three minutes with two other colleagues. He swiftly but calmly went in with his colleagues. He rescued Kim (aged 57) from a kitchen in the first floor, and Hwang (aged 78) in the second floor in five minutes.

At the time, two walls were supporting the two-story building, but then a cracking sound was heard. At that moment, someone cried out that there were three more people inside the building. There were four households in the building.

Seo made his colleagues get out of the building and kept on searching for possible survivors. Then the building collapsed. It was 8:07 p.m.. People called his name, only in vain. Rescue efforts were delayed because the building was located in a densely populated area, making it difficult for fire trucks and other equipment to get in.

Despite the prayers and hopes of fellow firefighters, he was found dead four hours after the building collapsed. A concrete wall was on top of his leg, and no other bodies were found.

“Why couldn’t you save your own life, when you worked so hard to save others,” cried his son, aged 27. With a month to the retirement, nobody would have expected the senior firefighter to go to the dangerous site, but he was first to be there. Junior firefighters dropped their heads.

Seo, who first became a firefighter in August 1973, was always at the center of an accident scene. He was dispatched to 19,500 fires and saved 1,050 lives. With two more lives saved at the last scene, he saved a total of 1,052 lives. He changed his job in 1980 because it was hard to make living on the meager salary, but came back in 1990.

He was an example of integrity and self-sacrifice for his children. His son and daughter are a teacher and nurse at a special school for the disabled. Fellow firefighters had only one thing to say about him that he was a “true” firefighter.

The Busan Fire Service has decided to grant Seo a special promotion and a medal. His funeral will be held at 10:00 am on Friday, and he will be buried at Daejeon National Cemetery. For more information about the funeral, call 051-583-8914.

According to a police investigation, Kim (aged 57), who was saved by Seo, caused the fire after drinking because he was unhappy with his life.

silent@donga.com