A 42-year-old Hong Kong woman died after tragically falling from a cliff during a group hike in Lantau on Saturday — just one of at least three fatal hiking accidents that took place over the weekend.
According to Apple Daily, the woman, surnamed Si, was with a group of 16 people — 10 children, one man, and five women — who set out on a hike from Ngong Ping to Lantau Peak at 10am on Saturday morning. At about 2pm, however, as the group neared the to Lo Hon Tower, Si lost her footing and fell about 15 meters.
She was airlifted to Eastern Hospital, and was unconscious when she arrived. She was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
Lantau Peak is the second-highest peak in Hong Kong — the highest being Tai Mo Shan — and the highest point on Lantau Island, with a height of 934 meters above sea level.
It’s a popular hiking spot, and the summit is known for being one of the best places to watch the sunrise.
Speaking to Ming Pao, mountaineering expert Chung Kin-man said that the terrain around Lo Hon Tower is particularly dangerous as there’s no clear path, noting that some hikers have to hang onto the branches of trees on the cliffside to get to the top, and that the trail is not suitable for beginners or children.
According to Headline Daily, including Si’s, there were three hiking-related deaths in the SAR over the weekend.
At 7pm on Saturday, police received a report that a 49-year-old man surnamed Chan had fainted on Pak Tam Road during a hike through Sai Kung East Country Park. Chan was hiking with a friend at the time, and had to be airlifted to Eastern Hospital, but was pronounced dead after arriving.
Then, at 4am on Sunday, police found the body of a 65-year-old man on Pat Sin Leng ridge in the New Territories. The man had gone for a solo hike on Saturday morning but didn’t return home, prompting his family to call the police just after midnight.
In January 2018, the government released a list of “accident black spots” on some of Hong Kong’s popular hiking trails, which included places like Lion Rock Peak, Dog Teeth Range, and the ominously-named “Suicide Cliff.”
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