Rescue officials are seen gathered around a manhole during a rescue operation, in this photo provided by Ansan Police. (Ansan Police)
Rescue officials are seen gathered around a manhole during a rescue operation, in this photo provided by Ansan Police. (Ansan Police)

A woman in her 20s who went missing near a beach in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, was rescued after spending about 18 hours trapped inside a drain, police said Monday.

According to the Ansan Danwon police, officers received a report from the woman’s family at about 3:20 p.m. Sunday that she had disappeared near a drain at Bandalseom Park. Police later found that the woman, who came to the city to visit her relatives, entered the drain after turning off her smartphone. She became trapped inside and was unable to find an exit.

Police and fire authorities deployed search dogs and drones to locate her but were unable to find her due to the drain’s complex internal structure.

At around 9 a.m., the following day, the woman turned her phone back on and was able to communicate with authorities. As the search resumed, rescuers spotted her finger protruding through a hole in a manhole cover and pulled her out.

She was not found to have any physical injuries but was taken to a hospital due to exhaustion, police said.

Authorities later placed her in a psychiatric hospital, citing concerns that she could engage in similar behavior again.

Despite the cold weather at the time she went missing, police said she was able to endure the conditions because the drain blocked exposure to outside temperatures.


shinjh@heraldcorp.com