According to the Kyunghyang Shinmun, a group of four residents who had gone to dig clams on a West Sea tidal flat at night were cut off by a faster-than-expected incoming tide. Fire authorities who received the call launched a drone to search the area, pinpointed the group deep in the dark mudflat and guided a rescue crew to bring all four to safety.

Clamming at night on tidal flats is dangerous without a precise read of tide times. What looks walkable at low tide can turn treacherous fast; an incoming tide moves far faster than many expect. At night, changes in the terrain underfoot are impossible to see, and getting trapped between reed beds or tidal channels can make self-rescue impossible.

Drones play a decisive role in such situations. Before a rescue team enters the mudflat on foot, a drone with a thermal camera or floodlight can sweep a wide area quickly and fix the position of those stranded, cutting response time sharply. Fire authorities have been expanding drone deployment in floods, tidal flats and mountain settings alike.

The incident is a reminder of how critical basic knowledge of tide schedules and mudflat terrain can be. Local governments near the coast provide tide-check apps and signs, but foreign visitors and tourists often struggle to access that information — pointing to a broader need for multilingual safety guidance.