Photo: Screenshot of social media post

A group of Chinese tourists travelling in a bus in South Korea on Saturday worked together to rescue a bus driver who lost consciousness and helped bring an out-of-control vehicle under control, averting a serious accident. South Korean netizens praised the Chinese tourists for remaining calm and handling the emergency remarkably well despite the language barrier. 

A Chinese tourist posted on social media that on Saturday local time, a shuttle bus traveling from downtown Seoul to Incheon International Airport was running on the expressway when the driver suddenly lost consciousness. Several Chinese passengers immediately worked together to bring the vehicle under control, call the police, and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), ultimately preventing a more serious accident. 

As relevant content of the incident circulated on Chinese and South Korean social media, South Korean media contacted the airport bus operator, which said it is still investigating the incident and verifying the driver's condition.

The person who shared the incident online, surnamed Wang, told the Global Times that at around 4:30 pm, as the airport bus approached Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport, the passengers suddenly heard the bus scrape against the roadside, making a sound similar to driving over a speed bump. After a passenger seated near the front shouted that the driver had passed out, several Chinese women quickly rushed to the front, took control of the bus, and safely steer it onto the emergency shoulder, preventing a more serious accident. 

Another passenger surnamed Sun, told the Global Times that she was sitting in the second row behind the driver and immediately rushed to the driver's seat as soon as she heard cries that the driver had collapsed.

"By then, the bus was already out of control. I quickly grabbed the steering wheel and steered it toward the emergency shoulder on the right, while another young woman helped by pressing the brake pedal. Together, we brought the bus to a stop. We then engaged the parking brake to make sure the vehicle would not continue rolling," Sun said. 

She said at that time, the immediate priority was to regain control of the bus, adding that at its speed, it could have overturned or been struck from behind if it had not been stopped quickly.

Once the bus was safely stopped, passengers quickly launched a rescue effort, moving the unconscious driver into the aisle and taking turns performing CPR, according to Sun. 

Meanwhile, the passengers also contacted the police to report the incident. According to Wang, language barriers complicated the initial emergency call. Sun, the only passenger on the bus who spoke Korean, then contacted police, reporting that the driver was suspected of being in cardiac arrest and requesting an ambulance immediately. 

According to Wang, the local police, highway patrol officers, and emergency responders soon arrived at the scene, and the passengers were transferred to another bus to continue to the airport. 

The bus was carrying between 10 to 20 passengers, mostly Chinese tourists. Several passengers took part in the rescue effort, helping control the vehicle, perform CPR, contact authorities, and stop passing vehicles and seek assistance after noticing the driver was in abnormal condition. 

Sun said that the successful rescue was a collective effort, with everyone working together to reduce the risk and prevent a more serious accident. 

South Korean media said the incident attracted widespread attention online, with many South Korean netizens viewing it as an example of cross-border cooperation in an emergency. They praised Chinese tourists for their bravery and calm response, which helped prevent a more serious accident.

On social media, many South Korean netizens also praised the Chinese passengers who took part in the rescue efforts. 

One netizen commented that "This is a heartwarming story. I hope the young women who helped with the rescue will be blessed with good luck and happiness, and I also hope the driver is safe and sound."

"Facing such a sudden emergency in a foreign country where they did not speak the language must have been extremely frightening, but they were still able to respond so calmly. It is truly remarkable," another said.