Teen hiker saves cardiac arrest victim on Hallasan with CPR

A man in his 40s who lost consciousness while hiking Hallasan survived thanks to emergency first aid performed by a high school student who happened to be nearby.

According to the Jeju Fire and Safety Headquarters, a 119 emergency call came in at 11:39 a.m. Sunday reporting that a man identified only as A had suddenly collapsed on the Gwaneumsa trail in Hallasan National Park. The caller was a 19-year-old high school student identified as B, who had been hiking with her father when she spotted A lying on the ground and immediately called the 119 emergency dispatch center.

The fire department dispatched paramedics, requested assistance from Gwaneumsa temple staff and guided B through video-assisted emergency treatment. Following instructions from the emergency dispatch center, B performed CPR and used an automated external defibrillator installed along the trail.

The emergency treatment lasted about 10 minutes. Thanks to B's calm and quick response, A began breathing on his own nine minutes after the call was received — before paramedics had arrived on the scene.

Paramedics reached the site around noon, transported A down the mountain by monorail and transferred him to a hospital.

A fire department official said rapid patient assessment and precise emergency care guidance delivered via video before paramedics arrived played a critical role in saving the patient's life.