Choi Deokha was born on December 13, 1997. He was a member of the 10th grade class #6 at Danwon High School in Ansan, South Korea. He lived for 16 years, 4 months and 3 days.
Deokha was a kind, hardworking student. In 8th grade, he was class president. He had studied Kendo for four years, reaching the second degree; he quit in June 2013 to focus on his studies. He was described as a boy with a great personality, the typical youngest child. His friends called him "Deokha Choi", reversing the Korean order of his name. His dream was to be a bodyguard, so he could protect people.
He was onboard the ferry Sewol when it capsized on the 16th of April, 2014, en route from Incheon to Jeju Island. He was the first person onboard the ship to alert authorities that the ship was sinking, doing so before any adult or crew member. Unfortunately, the authorities wasted time, asking Deokha, a 16-year-old high school student on a field trip, the latitude and longitude of the ship.
Deokha's Kendo instructor, who also taught Jeong Chawoong, another Sewol victim, said "He was so foolish…if he called the Coast Guard, he should have gone up on deck!" Instead, Deokha obeyed the captain's orders and stayed put in his cabin, awaiting the rescue that would never come. Deokha and most of the Danwon students on board obeyed the crew and remained in their cabins, passing the time by taking pictures and joking around with their friends. However, the coast guard only rescued those who'd come out on deck and didn't even attempt to rescue anyone inside the ship. The Korean government, ashamed at how the event unfolded, blocked volunteer rescuers and made excuses as to why rescue efforts could not continue. By the time they started recovery efforts, they were only finding bodies. There were hundreds of high schoolers, teachers and other passengers inside the ship and not a single one of them survived. The majority of them were still alive during the three hours it took for the Sewol to sink, recording videos of their ordeal and banging on the windows, begging to be saved - but they all eventually drowned or died of hypothermia. Those kids had trusted adults with their lives and were literally left to die. 304 people died in total, with 250 of them being Danwon High School students. The Sewol Ferry sinking was one of the most heartbreaking and senseless maritime tragedies to have ever happened. The students’ loved ones are still looking for answers as to why those 250 beautiful children had to die…and those answers may never come.
Deokha has been labeled a hero, as if he hadn't called when he did, many more lives may have been lost. His body was found on April 23rd - without a life jacket.
He is now resting at the Ansan Sky Memorial Park.
Thank you to Timothy for sponsoring Deokha's memorial!
Deokha was a kind, hardworking student. In 8th grade, he was class president. He had studied Kendo for four years, reaching the second degree; he quit in June 2013 to focus on his studies. He was described as a boy with a great personality, the typical youngest child. His friends called him "Deokha Choi", reversing the Korean order of his name. His dream was to be a bodyguard, so he could protect people.
He was onboard the ferry Sewol when it capsized on the 16th of April, 2014, en route from Incheon to Jeju Island. He was the first person onboard the ship to alert authorities that the ship was sinking, doing so before any adult or crew member. Unfortunately, the authorities wasted time, asking Deokha, a 16-year-old high school student on a field trip, the latitude and longitude of the ship.
Deokha's Kendo instructor, who also taught Jeong Chawoong, another Sewol victim, said "He was so foolish…if he called the Coast Guard, he should have gone up on deck!" Instead, Deokha obeyed the captain's orders and stayed put in his cabin, awaiting the rescue that would never come. Deokha and most of the Danwon students on board obeyed the crew and remained in their cabins, passing the time by taking pictures and joking around with their friends. However, the coast guard only rescued those who'd come out on deck and didn't even attempt to rescue anyone inside the ship. The Korean government, ashamed at how the event unfolded, blocked volunteer rescuers and made excuses as to why rescue efforts could not continue. By the time they started recovery efforts, they were only finding bodies. There were hundreds of high schoolers, teachers and other passengers inside the ship and not a single one of them survived. The majority of them were still alive during the three hours it took for the Sewol to sink, recording videos of their ordeal and banging on the windows, begging to be saved - but they all eventually drowned or died of hypothermia. Those kids had trusted adults with their lives and were literally left to die. 304 people died in total, with 250 of them being Danwon High School students. The Sewol Ferry sinking was one of the most heartbreaking and senseless maritime tragedies to have ever happened. The students’ loved ones are still looking for answers as to why those 250 beautiful children had to die…and those answers may never come.
Deokha has been labeled a hero, as if he hadn't called when he did, many more lives may have been lost. His body was found on April 23rd - without a life jacket.
He is now resting at the Ansan Sky Memorial Park.
Thank you to Timothy for sponsoring Deokha's memorial!
Choi Deokha was born on December 13, 1997. He was a member of the 10th grade class #6 at Danwon High School in Ansan, South Korea. He lived for 16 years, 4 months and 3 days.
Deokha was a kind, hardworking student. In 8th grade, he was class president. He had studied Kendo for four years, reaching the second degree; he quit in June 2013 to focus on his studies. He was described as a boy with a great personality, the typical youngest child. His friends called him "Deokha Choi", reversing the Korean order of his name. His dream was to be a bodyguard, so he could protect people.
He was onboard the ferry Sewol when it capsized on the 16th of April, 2014, en route from Incheon to Jeju Island. He was the first person onboard the ship to alert authorities that the ship was sinking, doing so before any adult or crew member. Unfortunately, the authorities wasted time, asking Deokha, a 16-year-old high school student on a field trip, the latitude and longitude of the ship.
Deokha's Kendo instructor, who also taught Jeong Chawoong, another Sewol victim, said "He was so foolish…if he called the Coast Guard, he should have gone up on deck!" Instead, Deokha obeyed the captain's orders and stayed put in his cabin, awaiting the rescue that would never come. Deokha and most of the Danwon students on board obeyed the crew and remained in their cabins, passing the time by taking pictures and joking around with their friends. However, the coast guard only rescued those who'd come out on deck and didn't even attempt to rescue anyone inside the ship. The Korean government, ashamed at how the event unfolded, blocked volunteer rescuers and made excuses as to why rescue efforts could not continue. By the time they started recovery efforts, they were only finding bodies. There were hundreds of high schoolers, teachers and other passengers inside the ship and not a single one of them survived. The majority of them were still alive during the three hours it took for the Sewol to sink, recording videos of their ordeal and banging on the windows, begging to be saved - but they all eventually drowned or died of hypothermia. Those kids had trusted adults with their lives and were literally left to die. 304 people died in total, with 250 of them being Danwon High School students. The Sewol Ferry sinking was one of the most heartbreaking and senseless maritime tragedies to have ever happened. The students’ loved ones are still looking for answers as to why those 250 beautiful children had to die…and those answers may never come.
Deokha has been labeled a hero, as if he hadn't called when he did, many more lives may have been lost. His body was found on April 23rd - without a life jacket.
He is now resting at the Ansan Sky Memorial Park.
Thank you to Timothy for sponsoring Deokha's memorial!
Deokha was a kind, hardworking student. In 8th grade, he was class president. He had studied Kendo for four years, reaching the second degree; he quit in June 2013 to focus on his studies. He was described as a boy with a great personality, the typical youngest child. His friends called him "Deokha Choi", reversing the Korean order of his name. His dream was to be a bodyguard, so he could protect people.
He was onboard the ferry Sewol when it capsized on the 16th of April, 2014, en route from Incheon to Jeju Island. He was the first person onboard the ship to alert authorities that the ship was sinking, doing so before any adult or crew member. Unfortunately, the authorities wasted time, asking Deokha, a 16-year-old high school student on a field trip, the latitude and longitude of the ship.
Deokha's Kendo instructor, who also taught Jeong Chawoong, another Sewol victim, said "He was so foolish…if he called the Coast Guard, he should have gone up on deck!" Instead, Deokha obeyed the captain's orders and stayed put in his cabin, awaiting the rescue that would never come. Deokha and most of the Danwon students on board obeyed the crew and remained in their cabins, passing the time by taking pictures and joking around with their friends. However, the coast guard only rescued those who'd come out on deck and didn't even attempt to rescue anyone inside the ship. The Korean government, ashamed at how the event unfolded, blocked volunteer rescuers and made excuses as to why rescue efforts could not continue. By the time they started recovery efforts, they were only finding bodies. There were hundreds of high schoolers, teachers and other passengers inside the ship and not a single one of them survived. The majority of them were still alive during the three hours it took for the Sewol to sink, recording videos of their ordeal and banging on the windows, begging to be saved - but they all eventually drowned or died of hypothermia. Those kids had trusted adults with their lives and were literally left to die. 304 people died in total, with 250 of them being Danwon High School students. The Sewol Ferry sinking was one of the most heartbreaking and senseless maritime tragedies to have ever happened. The students’ loved ones are still looking for answers as to why those 250 beautiful children had to die…and those answers may never come.
Deokha has been labeled a hero, as if he hadn't called when he did, many more lives may have been lost. His body was found on April 23rd - without a life jacket.
He is now resting at the Ansan Sky Memorial Park.
Thank you to Timothy for sponsoring Deokha's memorial!
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최 덕 하
요한
1997.12.13. ~ 2014.4.16.
