Intoxicated Foreigner Missing After Swim, Police Search Launched
Source: OT-Team(G),点新闻
According to Hong Kong media reports on December 1, a foreign man went missing while swimming off Lamma Island on November 29. The police received a report at 7:00 PM on November 29, stating that a foreign man had entered the sea to swim at Mo Tat Wan, but had failed to return to shore half an hour later. Distressed cries were heard from the sea, and his friends feared he had drowned. Firefighters were dispatched to search the area, but their efforts were unsuccessful. The Government Flying Service also deployed a helicopter. Eventually, the intoxicated man was found about 3.8 kilometers away, near Ap Lei Chau's South Horizon, and was rescued by police and taken to the hospital. He was brought to shore at approximately 10:20 PM, having spent over three hours in the water. According to media reports, the man is 45 years old, British, and a resident of Ap Lei Chau, holding a Hong Kong ID. On the afternoon of November 29, he and six friends traveled from Aberdeen to Lamma Island, arriving around 3:00 PM. At around 6:00 PM, they had dinner at a restaurant on Lamma Island, where the man drank alcohol and became animated. He told his friends he could swim back to Ap Lei Chau from Mo Tat Wan. Without further warning, he stripped off his clothes and rushed into the water. His friends, concerned for his well-being, attempted to search for him along the shore but were unable to locate him as darkness fell. Fearing the worst, they called the authorities. A joint search operation by the police, firefighters, and the Flying Service began immediately but failed to find him. Around 10:20 PM, after about three hours of swimming, the man managed to reach the sea off Ap Lei Chau's South Horizon. Unable to get ashore, he called for help, alerting passersby, who then contacted the authorities. Police arrived at the scene, threw him a life ring, and firefighters rescued him, taking him to Mary Hospital for examination. When rescued, he was barefoot, wearing only shorts, and showed signs of intoxication.