Gyeongnam Disabled Child Daycare Outdoor Class Drowning Incident, Police Investigation Underway

A tragic incident occurred in Gyeongnam in which a 9-year-old child with intellectual disabilities drowned while participating in an outdoor class at a daycare. The police are currently conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident.

According to the police and relevant authorities on the 17th, A (9), who has intellectual disabilities, went out for an outdoor class near a dam in the region with teachers from a daycare specializing in children with disabilities on the afternoon of the 15th, when the accident took place.

A was reported to spend his afternoons at the daycare after completing his classes at a special school.

Circumstances of the Incident and Rescue Efforts

At the time of the outdoor class, seven teachers were supervising 12 disabled children, including A. However, during the class, A suddenly went missing, prompting the teachers to contact the principal and the police. Subsequently, police, firefighters, and employees from the Water Resources Corporation were deployed for search operations.

After about an hour of searching, A was found submerged in a lake below the walking trail. He was immediately transported to the hospital but was ultimately pronounced dead.

One of the teachers reportedly stated during the police investigation, "I witnessed A suddenly running out alone during the outdoor class and tried to catch up with him, but I lost sight of him."

The police currently see no evidence of foul play; however, they are focused on determining the precise circumstances of the incident and whether the teachers fulfilled their responsibilities in supervising the disabled children adequately.

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