Search for missing Hong Kong paraglider enters fourth day as low visibility hampers rescuers
Patrick Chung has been missing since Sunday, but those looking for him promise to remain vigilant despite no longer receiving signals from his mobile phone
The search for a missing Hong Kong paraglider continued into its fourth day on Wednesday, even as volunteers reported being hampered by extremely low visibility in the mountains.
Patrick Chung Yuk-wa, 44, remained uncontactable after being blown off course from Sunset Peak, also known as Tai Tung Shan, in Lantau South Country Park on Sunday at 2pm. He had taken off from the spot with a group of 10 paragliders.
According to the Hong Kong Paragliding Association (HKPA), up to 40 volunteers would be deployed on Wednesday to help rescue services personnel locate the paraglider. The volunteer teams would be concentrating on the eastern part of Lantau Island.
A law enforcement source said on Tuesday that transmission stations were not receiving any signal from Chung’s mobile phone.
“It is possible that the battery on his device ran out of power,” the source said. “As of now, we have no plans to scale down or suspend the search.”
According to the HKPA, Chung’s friends had earlier traced his phone, with the last known location being Lantau Peak. Signals from the device were later received by transmission stations at Shek Kwu Chau and Cheung Chau on Monday afternoon.
The association has been working with emergency services to analyse mobile phone data, radar weather plots and wind data from the Hong Kong Observatory to try to track Chung and identify search areas.
