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Joohee HanSouth Korean mountaineer
Date of Birth: 01.01.1993
Country:  South Korea |
Content:
- Extraordinary Survival of South Korean Hiker
- Miraculous Discovery
- Grueling Ordeal
- Medical Assessment
- Against All Odds
- Search and Rescue
- Challenging Terrain
Extraordinary Survival of South Korean Hiker
Lost and Alone in the WildernessSouth Korean hiker Juhi Han endured six harrowing days without food or equipment in the unforgiving Queensland bush, defying all odds of survival. A massive search operation was launched to locate Han, who had vanished into the untamed wilderness of Queensland. As the sixth day of the search approached, hope dwindled, but the 25-year-old's resilience proved to be extraordinary.
Miraculous Discovery
At approximately 00:15 on June 8, 2018, a team of soldiers and police officers discovered Han in a narrow gorge near a waterfall, dehydrated and exhausted. She had last been seen at a supermarket in Tully on August 31, a week prior. Han had planned to hike Mount Tyson alone on June 1, but had been out of contact ever since.
Grueling Ordeal
Han had reached the summit of the mountain but had suffered a fall, losing consciousness for nearly five hours. Disoriented and without gear, she had crawled through the bush, eventually reaching the waterfall in the treacherous gorge. She managed to quench her thirst but found no food. A rescue helicopter spotted Han, who would have remained hidden from the ground search party.
Medical Assessment
Paramedic Hannah Golke reported that Han was in surprisingly good condition. "She was able to walk to the helicopter, where I assessed her, and then we transported her to Tully Hospital, where she is currently recovering," Golke said. "We were expecting a much worse scenario." Golke noted that Han had only sustained minor abrasions and lacerations.
Against All Odds
"From all the information we had received, including from local police, Juhi is the first person we know to have survived in these conditions, where it gets down to single-figure temperatures overnight," Golke stated. "She had minimal clothing for survival, and her chance of survival simply comes down to one in a million."
Search and Rescue
Inspector Stephen Kersley credited the soldiers and police officers who had ventured into the bush after receiving reports of someone yelling on June 2. "That information was particularly useful for us to pinpoint an area on the map where she might be," Kersley said. "We had a team that went up the side of a hill, in the direction we thought she might be, and thankfully they were the ones who found her." Kersley noted that Han was severely dehydrated but had done everything she could to stay alive.
Challenging Terrain
Special Emergency Response Team coordinator Eleanor Rosam emphasized the difficulty of the search in that particular area. "The track is not heavily used, so it's not in the best condition," she said.
