Firefighter traumatized by Itaewon disaster goes missing after leaving note saying ‘I’m sorry’

A 34-year-old firefighter in Incheon who had struggled with depression since responding to the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush has been missing for a week after leaving a note that read “I’m sorry.” According to Incheon Fire Headquarters, the firefighter, identified only by the surname A, went out of contact on Aug. 10 after sending the message to family and friends. Police and fire officials said A drove out of the Nam Incheon Tollgate on the Second Gyeongin Expressway at about 2:30 a.m. that day, parked on the shoulder, and disappeared. His mobile phone was last detected near an apartment complex in Seochang-dong, Namdong District, Incheon, but no signal has been picked up since. A had been dispatched to the Itaewon disaster site in October 2022 and later received treatment for depression. In a past media interview, he said, “My parents felt distressed just knowing I was there. How much more painful must it be for the victims’ parents? I kept thinking, ‘I wish this wasn’t real.’” His family has been distributing leaflets both online and offline in a desperate search. On the dWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times