Posted at 12:43 p.m., Monday, March 26, 2007
Four South Korean students drown in Saipan
Associated Press
SAIPAN, Northern Marianas Islands — Four students from South Korea drowned after a wave swept away a group of young people as they were hiking along a Saipan island shoreline, officials said.The two young men and two women were with a group of friends near a reef line on the eastern part of the island when they were hit by the wave on Friday. The last body was recovered Saturday.
The male students were identified as Ku Jung-hwan and Seo Sang-won. The women were Yang Mi-ra and Kim Jin-ah, according to the Korean Association of Saipan. They were between the ages of 18 and 24 and attended Northern Marianas College or Mount Carmel High School.
Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Lei Ogomuro said the four victims and other students were hiking on Forbidden Island, a secluded rocky beach with a natural pool.
The four victims and three other students were dragged into the ocean. A U.S. Navy helicopter from Guam assisted in the search and rescue.
Ku was scheduled to be buried in Saipan, while the bodies of the three others were being flown to Seoul.
