Three Dead in One Day on East Coast: The 'Uninvited Guest' Swallowing Beaches

[Anchor]

There is an uninvited guest that can suddenly swallow up a beach, even on clear, windless days. It is known as a "swell" or "swell wave." Recently, three people lost their lives in a single day after being swept away by these waves on the east coast.

Report by Cho Jae-geun.

[Reporter]

Early in the morning, three people are seen walking along the beach, taking photos.

A moment later, one person suddenly falls into the water, and another is dragged into the sea shortly after.

Although the Coast Guard and 119 rescue services managed to pull both individuals from the water, one of them ultimately passed away.

Nine hours later, at a beach just 4km away, a person in their 40s enjoying kayaking was swept away by a swell. An hour and a half after that, another tourist was swept away and killed at a nearby beach.

In just one day, three people lost their lives to swell waves.

Swells are generated when low-pressure systems pass through the open sea, and they can roll in even on clear, windless days.

Unlike regular waves, which have short wave periods, swells have long periods of over 8 seconds and wavelengths reaching 100 to 200 meters, meaning they carry much more energy than regular waves of the same height.

[Kim In-ho / Professor, Department of Earth Environmental System Sciences, Kangwon National University: While regular waves lose energy due to the influence of seafloor topography, long-period waves (swells) hit the coast directly without any energy reduction, causing their impact to increase tremendously.]

When swells reach the shore, multiple waves can overlap, making the wave height even greater. In particular, many areas along the east coast have water that becomes deep very suddenly, making it difficult to escape once swept in.

[Lee Byung-ju / Officer, Donghae Regional Coast Guard: Even for rescue divers, it can be difficult to swim in swell waves without equipment. Because there is no buoyancy to keep you afloat, it is very challenging. Therefore, we urge tourists to always wear life jackets...]

Most beaches on the Gangwon east coast do not have safety personnel stationed until they officially open next month, so extra caution is required.

(Video reporting: Kim Dae-cheol | Design: Lee Jong-jung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.