Fatal heavy equipment accident during an absurd river maintenance project.jpg

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Missing excavator operator in Chatancheon, Yeoncheon, found dead after two days of searching
Dong-A Ilbo
On the 6th, Mr. Choi (in his 50s), an excavator operator who went missing in Chatancheon, Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi-do, was found dead. According to police and fire authorities, at around 8:00 AM on the 6th, an excavator lost balance and overturned into the river while moving in Chatancheon, Chatan-ri, Yeoncheon-eup, Yeoncheon-gun. Due to this accident, the excavator operator...

Mr. Choi (in his 50s), an excavator operator who went missing in Chatancheon, Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi-do, on the 6th, was found dead.
According to police and fire authorities, at around 8:00 AM on the 6th, an excavator lost balance and overturned into the river while moving in Chatancheon, Chatan-ri, Yeoncheon-eup, Yeoncheon-gun.
Due to this accident, the excavator operator, Mr. Choi, went missing.
Following a report from a fisherman who discovered the accident site nearby, police and fire authorities dispatched 67 personnel, 20 pieces of equipment, and even a helicopter to conduct search operations that day, but they could not find Mr. Choi.
After resuming the search at 6:00 AM the following day, the 7th, fire authorities found Mr. Choi deceased in the water at a spot 3m away from the accident site at around 10:55 AM.
Mr. Choi was involved in the accident while deployed for the Chatancheon river maintenance work commissioned by Yeoncheon-gun.
This is a case from 2021 where an excavator overturned during a river maintenance project, resulting in the death of the operator.
Upon investigating why the excavator overturned, it was discovered that an anti-tank obstacle (tank trap) had been installed.
Tank trap: A trap designed to overturn tanks (heavy equipment) weighing over 20 tons when they attempt to cross a river.
Because this trap is a top-secret military facility, even the local government was unaware of its existence.
Although the project was executed by Yeoncheon-gun, there was no site supervisor, and because industrial accident insurance had not been taken out, they maintained that compensation would be difficult.
Subsequently, removal projects for tank traps in rivers across the country were carried out.
I am not sure how the compensation for the deceased operator was handled.