A male hiker was airlifted to safety yesterday afternoon after falling down the side of a cliff on one of Hong Kong’s most difficult hiking trails.
The hiker, a 58-year-old surnamed Cheng, was one of eight people — four male and three female — who set off from the village of Sha Kok Mei in Sai Kung at about 9am yesterday morning to hike along section three of the MacLehose Trail.
About three hours later, Cheng lost his footing, slipped, and fell five meters down the side of a cliff, Apple Daily reported.
Cheng broke his foot and sustained a head injury during the fall.
The other hikers called emergency services, and a Government Flying Service (GFS) helicopter was dispatched.
Cheng was taken to North Lantau Hospital in a semi-conscious state, and later sent to Princess Margaret Hospital for further treatment.
The MacLehouse Trail is a 100 kilometer-long hiking trail that links eight country parks in the New Territories, and is divided up into 10 sections of varying levels of difficulty.
According to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the section of the trail that Cheng was found on is considered one of the most difficult parts of the trail as it includes some very strenuous climbs over three mountains, each one almost 400 meters high.
The trail also includes the Quadruplex Pool in Sai Kung, which has been listed by the authorities as an “accident black spot.”
