The trip to Ullengdo Island was cut short when the organizers, Adventure Korea, announced that a storm was moving in and there would be no ferry back to the mainland on Wednesday, as planned. Instead, we would head back Tuesday and be refunded 30,000 won (about $25). Most people were unhappy with that number, but there wasn't a whole lot we could do about it.
After a three-hour ferry ride back to Korea, we boarded a bus in the pouring rain. The storm was here. Then, about an hour and fifteen minutes into the journey, a girl screamed in horror.
I looked up. I had been trying to read, but had given up and began watching Iron Man 2. But then I got bored with that, and was trying to sleep. When I looked up, for a moment it was difficult to tell what was real and what was happening on screen. The TV was suspended directly above the windshield, and an action scene was happening in the movie (Rourke's character vs. Downey's character in the arena).
But then I shifted my eyes down toward the windshield, and saw a dark shape in front of the windshield -- the bus in front of us -- shift out of view. As it did, it revealed a white car spun out in the road with the front end crushed. I was sitting in the farthest seat in the back with three of the girls. I had the aisle directly in front of me, but placed my hands and one foot on the nearest back seat as the bus slammed to a halt. It didn't brake in time, and smashed into the bus in front of us. The sound of crushing metal and breaking glass cut through the air. Then, for a moment, it seemed as if the bus would tip over.
It steadied itself, and we took a breath and looked around. Forty voices spoke at once. What happened? Was everyone all right? I shouted to the front that everyone was all right back here. Then a terrifying thought crossed my mind. We were stopped on the highway, and were about to be rear-ended by the next car or truck that came upon us. I said this to the girls, and to be ready if this happened.
"There's a man lying in the road!" someone shouted. I looked out the window, and saw a man sprawled onto the pavement, his head to one side. He appeared to have been thrown from the white car when it crashed.
I realized then that the man one seat over from me had already gotten out of the bus. He was some sort of rescue specialist, and nobody had noticed him get off. He was outside, standing over the man, trying to help him. Then I realized I should probably do the same, even though I'm not trained in any procedures that might have helped. I got up and made it about halfway off the bus, but everyone was standing in the aisle, blocking the way, and I couldn't get off. I realized later that the door was crushed shut and the man must have climbed out of the broken window to get off. One of the Adventure Korea organizers stood up and yelled for everyone to stay on, so I went back to my seat and sat down. Several people from the bus we hit (the other half of the Adventure Korea group) were getting off, and a half-dozen of the men and a few women were helping the guy by putting dry clothes over him as he lay on the highway in the rain.
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| People from the bus we crashed into watch as the man they helped is driven away by ambulance |
Meanwhile, some members of the group began directing traffic, so emergency vehicles could get to us. A major traffic jam was forming on the highway behind us, and they would not be able to get through. A single lane of cars and buses passed by as a the group shielded the man from the rain with umbrellas. After enough rain came down, someone came to the window and asked for dry clothes. A few people took their sweatshirts off and passed them down toward a shattered window on the side of the bus. I took off my fleece and passed it forward, but a short time later it was passed back to me, as they apparently had enough clothes for the time being.
A tow truck arrived, but still no police or ambulances.
We kept an eye on the highway behind us, hoping not to get hit. We were parked in the fast lane.
Someone reappeared at the window and asked for more dry clothes or blankets. People began tearing the seat covers off and passing them forward. Again, I took off my fleece and passed it up.
A short time later, my fleece was handed back to me once more, as those in the middle of the bus had already given enough clothes and seat covers.
Finally, after what seemed like 30 to 40 minutes, police arrived, followed by an ambulance. They loaded the man on a stretcher and took him to the hospital. An Adventure Korea organizer told us later that they got a call from the hospital and were told they think he is going to live. The other person who was hospitalized was an Adventure Korea worker who was sitting near the front, and likely suffered cuts from broken glass, as well as shock after coming so close to serious injury.
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| Emergency responders load the the injured man into the ambulance. |
We were told that we would drive the bus 20 minutes to a rest stop, where another bus would be sent to take us home. We got off at what I think were some toll booth offices, and talked about the accident for a while, getting it out of our system. Everyone told each other what they thought and saw as it happened, and we managed to piece together what we thought occurred, why, and how it could have been prevented.
The other bus came and we boarded. It was a party bus, lined with bright lights. The back the seats opened up to a square table with cupholders, for people to chat and drink.
We drove back in the rain, and every time the bus braked sharply, everyone gasped. We made it back safely, and spent the rest of the night calming our nerves with wine.
The next update will be about what preceded the accident, and the (mostly) fun parts of the trip.
Wow, what a harrowing experience.
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