69-year-old village head plunges to death after slipping off cliffside

A 69-year-old man who was hiking with friends died after slipping down the side of one of the most challenging trails in Hong Kong.

According to Apple Daily, Lau Ho-ming was embarking on a hike with 15 other people to Kau Nga Ling in Lantau.

Kau Nga Ling — which literally translates to “dog teeth range” because of its thin and rugged mountain ridge — is known as one of the most toughest hiking trails in Hong Kong.

The group set off from the start of trail at Shek Pik,  then Lau took the lead.

At about 1:30pm, Lau was navigating a narrow path — ominously nicknamed “a slim chance of survival” — towards a village called Tong Fuk when he slipped and fell about 6 meters down the side of the slope, RTHK reports.

Lau’s friends called for help, and two helicopters from the Government Flying Service were sent to the scene. Paramedics tried resuscitate Lau, but he was declared dead at the scene. His body was then airlifted to the GFS headquarters.

Lau was the head of San Tin village in Sha Tin, New Territories. The newspaper reported that he was retired and spent the past few years traveling to Japan, Turkey, Sri Lanka and Egypt.

Several accidents have occurred on the same spot; a 64-year-old man fell 60 meters but survived after trees broke his fall in February this year, and in December 2015, a 60-year-old man hiking with a friend on Kau Nga Ling was airlifted to the hospital after he fainted and tumbled 30 meters down a slope.

Kau Nga Ling  promises scenic views, but those who are attempting to climb it should be physically fit first. A number of websites have warned that it can be windy once you get to the ridges, and that hikers need to watch their step as there are broken rocks that can be unstable.