A month ago, Alpine skiing national team candidate athletes lost their lives on a road in New Zealand. However, as a result of JTBC's investigation, it has been revealed that they were not rescued at the accident site but were moved to a secure area for vehicle maintenance, where they were later found deceased. Why were our athletes unable to be rescued? This is an exclusive report by reporter Lee Sang-yeop from Google News. 

On the 21st of last month, local time, a collision occurred between a car and an SUV on Geraldine Road in New Zealand. Three individuals lost their lives: 17-year-old athlete Kim Sang-seo, 17-year-old athlete Park Jun-woo, and 24-year-old coach Jo Beom-hee, who was the driver. Additionally, 17-year-old Han Seo and a foreign driver of the SUV sustained serious injuries. However, an hour after the accident, only Han Seo was airlifted, while the other athletes and the coach were left behind. 

“I feel so sorry and regretful that this happened abroad. I'm sorry, Mom.”

If there was a mistake, the cause of death has been revealed. Some children were only seen from the back of their heads, while others were only visible from the blue side. This was because the luggage was covering them. The luggage was on top, which is why they were not discovered. When they went to the vehicle maintenance shop to disassemble it, the local police secured evidence. It was confirmed that there were drills and handbags inside the accident vehicle. The local fire department also stated that it was difficult to rescue due to the luggage. 

We need to hear testimonies from witnesses who followed the accident scene. The children had bags that weighed about 65 kilograms. There seemed to be about one bag. There were also around 40 doors used during training. The black box and CCTV are not available, and they stated that they have not yet been able to ascertain the exact details of the accident. How did our government and relevant agencies respond? They conducted a separate investigation, and if incorrect results were produced, what would happen?

Because there is such a responsibility, but the government generally does not investigate. The local authorities do not conduct investigations. My son was everything to me; he had grown up so well and was a talented child. He started skiing as soon as he could walk, and he loved skiing. He represented the youth team and was even on the national team. Throughout high school, he consistently ranked first in his class. He had many friends and juniors who looked up to him. Until now, I have been crying, going to New Zealand to investigate the accident, but I still managed to eat. During that time, it felt a bit animalistic, as my son had passed away, yet I was still able to eat. I really worked hard at exercising. He worked so hard, and then he died in New Zealand. JTBC Alpine Ski Team Racing.

I asked the school supervisor several times for a response, but I did not receive an answer. The bereaved family has continued local investigations on behalf of the government and has filed a report regarding the violation of duties by the leader of the Sports Ethics Center.

[단독] 숨진 선수들, 사고 직후 구조 없었다…왜? / JTBC 뉴스룸

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