Driver mistakes sea for land and sends car off Busan breakwater

A woman escaped through her car window after the vehicle plunged into the sea near a breakwater in Busan’s Gijang district.

The accident happened at about 8:04 p.m. on Aug. 30 at the breakwater at GongSu Port. A passer-by reported the vehicle, and the Busan Coast Guard sent a team from the Songjeong patrol station to the scene.

When officers arrived, only the car’s bumper remained visible above the water. The driver, identified as a woman in her 40s, had already escaped on her own through a window. She suffered no injuries, and authorities found no evidence that she had been drinking alcohol or taking drugs.

The driver reportedly told investigators that she mistook the sea for land while parking in the darkness, pressed the accelerator and fell into the water while reversing. A coast guard official urged people to take particular care when parking near breakwaters at night.

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When parking near a breakwater at night, people should look carefully around them and take particular care.