Ex-naval officer helps save passengers on ill-fated vessel

Maritime police have found a 40-something businessman, who was a retired naval petty officer, was behind the rescue of all 130 crew and passengers aboard the Seolbong, a 4,166-ton ferry that caught fire while heading for Jeju Island.

The Yeosu branch of the Korea Coast Guard in South Jeolla Province said Sunday, “In an investigation Wednesday last week, six witnesses testified that passenger Park Sang-hwan, 49, from Daegu played a major role in preventing casualties by easing fears among agitated passengers and demonstrating how to evacuate the vessel in an emergency."

In an interview with The Dong-A Ilbo on Sunday, Park graphically recalled the situation when the ferry was in flames. While heading to Jeju aboard the Seolbong with his wife, he learned that the ferry caught fire around 1:10 a.m. on Sept. 6 after hearing noises.

The Park couple also hurriedly evacuated to the deck, which completely dark due to a blackout in the entire vessel. Passengers had escaped to the deck at the stern and were shivering in fear and panic, being at a loss as to what to do.

At that moment, Park shouted, “I served in the Navy and this is nothing, and it`s not a serious situation. We can all survive if we move in an orderly fashion."

When an explosion occurred inside the ferry, however, passengers got agitated again.

Park again urged passengers to remain calm, saying, “This is not an explosion in the engine room, but the sound of a vehicle tire exploding.”

When passengers were reluctant to take lifeboats and be lowered from the ferry into the dark sea, he demonstrated himself by getting on a lifeboat. Afterwards, he signaled for rescue by firing flares on the lifeboat.

Soon after, a 460-ton patrol boat from the Yeosu branch of the Korea Coast Guard arrived at the scene and conducted a rescue operation.

Kim Yeong-tae, chief of the committee for damages from the Seolbong incident, said, “Park kept his composure so thoroughly that he even proposed to agitated passengers that they let women and children board the lifeboats first after appeasing passengers.”

peneye09@donga.com