A flight attendant rescued from a Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport on Sunday is transported to Asan Medical Center in Seoul's Songpa District by firefighters later that afternoon. Yonhap

Desperate and harrowing details have emerged from the grim rescue operation that followed the devastating crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216. The tragedy claimed 179 lives, leaving only two crew members as survivors.

According to the South Jeolla Fire Department on Tuesday, rescue teams arrived at the scene 11 minutes after the crash, at 9:14 a.m. on Dec. 29. Some firefighters approached the detached tail section of the plane, where they heard a voice crying for help. They immediately began extinguishing flames near the entrance of the tail.

Upon entering, the team found 33-year-old male flight attendant Lee standing, while a 25-year-old female flight attendant was pinned under a fallen cabinet.

Lee was rescued at 9:23 a.m., and approximately 30 minutes later, the team used hydraulic equipment to lift the cabinet and free the female attendant. She was conscious and able to communicate during her rescue.

However, rescuers said that Lee appeared deeply shocked and dazed, struggling to process the situation. After being transported to a hospital in Mokpo, he asked medical staff, "Why am I here?" According to Joo Woong, the head of Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital, where Lee was later transferred, "The patient said, 'When I woke up, I realized I had been rescued.'"

Jeju Air has promised comprehensive support for the two surviving crew members.

"We will spare no effort in providing the necessary support until the survivors fully recover," said Song Kyung-hoon, head of the airline's business support division.

Song also mentioned that after their recovery, the company will discuss reassignments to other departments based on their preferences.

The crash occurred at 9:03 a.m. on Dec. 29 at Muan International Airport, when the Jeju Air plane overshot the runway and crashed, killing all but two of the 181 onboard. The two survivors were in the tail section, which detached upon impact, likely contributing to their survival.

Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 attempts a belly landing on the runway at Muan International Airport at approximately 9:07 a.m., Sunday. Yonhap

This has sparked speculation about whether seats in the tail section are inherently safer during plane crashes. A 2015 U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) study analyzing 35 years of crash data found that fatality rates were lower for rear seats (32 percent) compared to middle (39 percent) and front seats (38 percent).

However, experts caution against generalizing these findings, emphasizing that safety outcomes depend heavily on the type of crash.

"It's difficult to conclude that tail sections are significantly safer than other parts of the plane," said an aviation expert.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.