Hike ends in tragedy after father dies during hike with teenage son

^{61-year-old father Lung Chun-kau and his 18-year-old autistic son Mark Lung Jian-zhen, were found after being missing for 26 hours. Unfortunately, Lung’s father died and his son was rescued. Photo: handout}

A 61-year-old man and his 18-year-old son, who is autistic, went hiking in Sai Kung on Christmas Eve. Their family discovered that the father and son had not returned later that night, and called the police after failing to make contact. A large number of rescue services personnel climbed the mountain to search Christmas Day morning, and the helicopter of the Government Flying Service was also called to the scene to help. The father and son were finally found in Shek Uk Shan in Sai Kung at 5:40 pm. The father, Lung Chun-kau, was rushed by Government Flying Service helicopter to the Pamela Youde Nethersdale Eastern Hospital, but was certified dead at 7.30pm. His 18-year-old son Mark Lung Jian-zhen was conscious when found and was taken to North Lantau Hospital for treatment.

The tragedy of the father and son is presumed to have happened as the boy did not know how to call emergency services when his father became ill. The family, the mother, father and son, live in a flat in Tseung Kwan O. The father and son went out at about 10:00 am. The mother went out around 7:00 pm, and did not return home at 9:00 pm. She was worried that her husband and son had not returned and called her father and son’s mobile phones, but no one answered. 

^{Mark Lung, 18, who survived the hillwalking tragedy that claimed the life of his father, Lung Chun-kau, 61. Photo: Handout}

After the father and son lost contact, some relatives and friends posted on the Internet calling for information, and alerted the police around midnight, but because they did not know their hiking route, the police had to start a search based on the Octopus information and the last record of the mobile phone signal. A large number of firefighters and other rescue personnel arrived at the Ma On Shan Nai Chung Barbecue Site at about 10:40 am Christmas Day morning.

Police were alerted to their possible position when a passer-by, who had taken photos of the couple in the afternoon showed the photos to the searchers. After receiving the message, the police tracked the signal of the mobile phone and locked the last location on the opposite side of Shek Uk Shan. At 5:40 pm., the firefighters found the father and son about 400 metres away from the mountain.

Media reports checked the temperature report of the Observatory and found the temperature near Pak Tam Chung dropped to 5 to 8 degrees Celsius during the night-time, and noticed that the boy was only wearing a t-shirt, and speculated that he did not know how to call the police so he could not get out of danger with his father as soon as possible So he waited beside the unconscious father until rescued.