'Not a moment's hesitation': Officers save diner at noodle restaurant

A group of police officers dining at a restaurant in Incheon saved a fellow customer's life Friday after the man suddenly lost consciousness, performing emergency first aid until paramedics arrived.

The story came to light Thursday when a post titled "A small miracle at our restaurant" appeared on the online community Bobaedream.

The author, identified only as A, runs a jjamppong (spicy noodle soup) restaurant in Nonhyeon-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, and described the tense scene that unfolded at the establishment on Oct. 3.

According to A, a customer identified as B suddenly lost consciousness and slumped onto a table at around 11:15 a.m. that day. As staff and other diners looked on in shock, officers from the traffic safety division of the Incheon Nonhyeon Police Station, who had been eating at a nearby table, immediately rushed over.

The officers laid B on a sofa and began performing CPR.

"They came over without a moment's hesitation and started emergency treatment as if they had rehearsed it," A wrote, describing how each officer took on a specific role — some performing chest compressions while others cleared the customer's airway. "They showed a strong determination to save him."

Color returned to B's face and he gradually regained consciousness. The officers kept talking to him to monitor his condition and continued their response until emergency medical technicians arrived and took over.

B was subsequently transported to a hospital. A, wanting to express gratitude, prepared fresh food for the officers. Other diners who had witnessed the scene reportedly competed with one another to pay the officers' meal bill.

The officers, however, paid for their own meals. A said she had wanted to do more but was unable to because of anti-graft laws that apply to public officials, and expressed regret at being able to convey only her heartfelt thanks.

"Even now, my heart races when I think about what might have happened if those officers hadn't been there," A wrote. "I want to again express my sincere gratitude to the staff of the traffic safety division at the Incheon Nonhyeon Police Station."

The post drew a wave of responses online. "I respect and am grateful to everyone who helped at the scene," one commenter wrote. Others praised the seamless coordination among those present — "From the restaurant staff to the officers, it was like a perfectly choreographed scene from a movie" — while another quipped that the customer who collapsed "must have saved the country in a past life."