Safety woes grow over private 'boot' camp
A bereaved father of one of five missing at a training camp weeps as his son’s body is recovered from the sea off Taean, South Chungcheon Province, Friday. The boy drowned while at a private training camp resembling a Marine boot camp. / Yonhap
Two trainees killed in Taean training center
By Kim Se-jeong
Concerns about harsh conditions at a training center in Taen, South Chungcheong Province that resemble those at a Marine boot camp are growing after two 19 year old trainees were found dead while three others remained missing Friday.
The tragedies revealed how poorly the private training camp was operated, paying scant attention to the safety and welfare of the participants.
On Thursday, 90 high school students from the provincial city of Gongju were taking part in a three-day “Marine boot” camp. The team was resting after a rafting session when two instructors encouraged the trainees to jump into the water.
According to the Coast Guard conducting the investigation, the five students were told to continue walking on the mud flat despite the rising water. The two instructors did not give safety instructions, and no one had a life jacket on.
A huge wave suddenly swept the students who were struggling to restore their balance on the mud flat. Investigators said that the students didn’t know how to swim. Two bodies have been recovered so far.
A big question surrounding the tragedy is how the operator, which does not have a license, could take the 90 students into care. The operator, “Marine Corps Leadership Training Center,” is a private entity. It has no affiliation with the Marine Corps.
Family members of the students as well as school teachers expressed anger at the poor management of the camp, urging the authorities to take stern action against the operator in order to prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy.
The instructors were part-time employees, and had no training on how to rescue people in danger of drowning. Local residents also said that the instructors failed to issue a warning that the mud flats could be a serious safety threat. A similar accident happened 10 years ago.
Meanwhile, the Marine Corps issued a statement saying that the troubled camp operator has no affiliation with it. It also said it will require private training camps to register with the military authorities as part of efforts to prevent such camps from springing up.
Government officials said they will step up a crackdown on camp operators if they violate safety rules.
Private boot camps in beach towns are found in many places around the country. However, there is official list of for the number in existence. One reason for this is that there are no legal requirements in place before such camps can begin operating.