An initial examination of the body of an 11-year-old boy who was found dead near the peak of Juwangsan, North Gyeongsang Province, suggests he died after suffering injuries in a fall, police said Tuesday.
Whether to conduct an autopsy would be decided later in the day, according to the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police.
The boy traveled from Daegu with his family early Sunday morning to visit Juwangsan National Park. While touring Daejeonsa, a temple inside the park, he later set out alone on a hike toward the park’s 720-meter main peak and went missing.
Police said the boy had not brought a cellphone with him.
After a search operation involving some 350 personnel from the police, fire authorities and the Korea National Park Service, along with helicopters, drones and rescue dogs, authorities found the boy dead at around 10:13 a.m. Tuesday in a wooded area about 400 meters from the main peak.
Police are investigating the exact circumstances surrounding the death based on the body examination results and conditions at the scene.
The funeral altar for the boy will be set up in his hometown of Daegu.
cjh@heraldcorp.com
