Man swept down river clings to bridge pillar, rescued safely

A man in his 20s swept away in a river in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, was rescued safely after grabbing a bridge pillar and holding on against the current.

According to fire department officials, a report came in around 1 p.m. Thursday that a person was being carried downstream in a river in Gapyeong-eup, Gapyeong-gun.

Firefighters who responded found the man, identified only by his surname initial A, clinging to the base of a bridge pillar as he fought the current.

Rescue workers used ropes and other equipment to reach him and brought him safely to shore before transporting him to a hospital. He was reported to have no life-threatening injuries.

The exact circumstances of how he ended up in the water have not yet been determined.