Man in his 30s goes into cardiac arrest after being pulled into floodgate while swimming in Han River

A man in his 30s went into cardiac arrest after being sucked into a floodgate while swimming near Jamsil Bridge on the Han River and was rushed to a hospital.

According to the Han River Ttukseom Water Rescue Unit, a report came in at around 8:37 a.m. Sunday that a man swimming near the southern end of Jamsil Bridge had been pulled into a floodgate.

Rescuers who responded to the call found the man in cardiac arrest about 20 minutes later, at around 9:09 a.m., administered emergency treatment on the scene and transported him to a hospital.

Jamsil Bridge is equipped with a submerged weir designed to regulate the Han River's water level. The weir has five floodgates in total.

When the gates open, the surrounding current becomes extremely strong and the flow speed increases sharply, creating dangerous conditions — including whirlpools and rapids — for anyone nearby.

Police and fire department authorities are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident.