Nurse's 7-Minute CPR Saves Swimmer in South Korea

When a woman in her 50s suddenly lost consciousness in a swimming pool at South Korea's Uiwang National Sports Center on August 14, Eun-Ah Jung didn't hesitate. The emergency room nurse was waiting for her own swim class when she saw instructors and safety staff pulling the unconscious woman from the water.

Jung quickly assessed the situation and knew seconds mattered. The woman's face was pale, her breathing barely detectable, and though her eyes were open, nobody was home.

Taking over chest compressions, Jung worked continuously for seven minutes. When the patient vomited, Jung carefully turned her head to prevent choking and kept going, switching between compressions and using a nearby defibrillator.

Then came the moment every medical professional hopes for. Jung checked for a pulse and found it: the return of spontaneous circulation. The patient's heart was beating on its own again.

Paramedics arrived six minutes after the initial 911 call. Jung briefed them on everything she'd done, helped measure vital signs, and watched as they transported the patient to her own workplace, the Regional Emergency Medical Center at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital.

Why This Inspires

Jung's story reminds us that training meets opportunity in the most unexpected places. She's spent more than five years in emergency medicine and holds advanced life support qualifications, but she never imagined she'd use those skills poolside on her day off.

The patient, identified only as Ms. Kim, had regained much of her consciousness by the time she reached the hospital. After treatment and observation, she walked out in good health days later.

Five days after her near-death experience, Kim returned to the hospital with a simple mission: to thank the woman who saved her life. "I will never forget the help I received in this urgent moment, when you did not hesitate to assist me," she told Jung.

Jung's response captures why she chose emergency medicine in the first place. "In emergencies, the initial response can determine the patient's outcome, so I acted quickly and performed emergency measures, determined to save the patient's life," she explained. "I felt truly rewarded when I heard that the patient had recovered and been discharged in good health."

Quick action and proper training turned what could have been a tragedy into a celebration of life.