A bone fragment discovered in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, has been confirmed to belong to a park ranger who went missing in Jirisan National Park earlier this month during heavy rains, local police said Thursday.
According to Hadong Police, the remains were found on July 25 near Uisin Valley in Hwagae-myeon, where a climber reported what appeared to be a piece of human bone. The National Forensic Service later confirmed that the fragment belonged to a staff member of the Jirisan office of the Korea National Park Service.
The ranger, in his 40s, had been missing since July 19. He had set out on foot from Yeonhacheon Shelter, where he had been on overnight duty, toward his home in Samjeong Village in Hadong. The shelter, at an elevation of 1,480 meters, sits along one of the most popular trails to the summit of Jirisan, South Korea’s second-highest peak.
At the time, central regions, including South Gyeongsang Province, were hit by days of heavy rainfall that triggered flash floods and landslides, killing at least 25 people.
However, the missing ranger is not included in the official casualty count from the July 16–20 storm, as his case is being treated as a separate missing person incident. Authorities said they have yet to confirm the connection between his disappearance and the torrential rain.
Police believe the victim may have struck a rock or other terrain feature, causing the bone to separate from the body. They added that the search is ongoing.
khnews@heraldcorp.com
