This is one old man with a constitution of steel. The only provisions he prepared for what he thought would be a gentle day hike—which he takes on a daily basis—was a bottle of water and a piece of bread. Eating those measly rations, and drinking from fresh streams, is how 66-year-old diabetic man Chiu Lung-mo survived for six whole days (144 hours) in the Tuen Mun wilderness after he got desperately lost. He tried eating leaves too, but they were too rough and bitter.
“I really thought I was going to die in the mountains,” the man told Apple Daily from his hospital bed.
Since his retirement, Chiu has enjoyed going on aimless walks everyday, leaving regularly around 10am and returning before 4pm, when he needs to take his diabetes medication.
Chiu’s possible intended route, from Po Tin Estate to Ha Pak Nai (Image from Google Maps)
On Aug. 19, he left his home at around 10am as usual and took the 259D bus to Po Tin Estate, from where he wanted to walk to the beautiful mudflats of Ha Pak Nai.
But on the way he got lost and somehow ended up at Lung Kwu Tan Village, several kilometres southwest of his intended destination. He must have cut through the forest to end up there and not taken the main road as Google Maps suggests
How Chiu may have arrived at the landfill (Image via Google Maps)
Trying to find his way, he ended up at the West New Territories Landfill Site, near Ha Pak Nai, where a kind-hearted dumpster truck driver gave him a lift to somewhere he thought the man could find his way back. But after no cars or people passed for a long time, Chiu ventured off into the woods again. Nooo!! Why?!
In an unfortunate twist of fate, he ended up in an area without cell reception. His family, having tried to contact him, reported him missing on Aug. 19 when he didn’t return home at the usual time. But Chiu wouldn’t have known if he ended up somewhere near a cell tower anyway, as he later dropped his phone in a pool of water, rendering it useless.
A 20-person search and rescue team was dispatched to find him, to no avail.
Yesterday morning, Chiu came across a yellow water pipe, and the shrewd man realized he must be near a village, and followed it until he came across a man getting into his car.
“I asked him, why don’t you give me a ride while you’re at it?” Chiu explained, ever so casual about the fact that he had just been rescued after a six-day-long, foodless ordeal. The driver, noticing the old man had several cuts and scrapes, called an ambulance.
Having been found yesterday morning in Castle Peak – not far from the first village where he ended up – the 66-year-old is now in stable condition in hospital.
“I was very anxious to see [my family],” Chiu said. “I’ve promised my kids that I I’ll never go hiking again… At most I’ll just walk on the street.”
Chiu’s son, admitting that his father also got lost a few months ago in Tai Po (but only for a day), vowed that he would accompany his father on hikes from now on.
A doctor said that the diabetic might have been disoriented due to low blood sugar levels.
Chiu’s navigation skills may be sub-par, but if we were ever on Survivor, we would definitely pick him to be part of our tribe for his resilience, determination, and resourcefulness. He probably has some good stories, too. We hope he’s back on his feet enjoying Hong Kong’s nature in no time!
Screenshot: Apple Daily
