Braving the sea is far more risky than braving the mountain, as the old saying goes. To the police officers in Marine Region, the sea is so unpredictable - sometimes calm and sometimes very rough. But no matter the sea is calm or otherwise, the officers are committed to rendering assistance to people in distress.
Struggling with the elements requires perseverance and wise decision. The following story is about our patrol launch officers saving the life of a man and his property under heavy rainstorm in the roaring sea.
Unpredictable weather
One summer morning of brilliant sunshine with breezes cooling down the heat, a man taking his puppy and carrying camping equipment set off on a small yacht from Tai Mei Tuk for Tai O via Sai Kung.
On the afternoon of the following day when the man was sailing across the waters at the north of Wang Chau, Sai Kung, the calm sea suddenly turned violent and turbulent, and a powerful wave turned the 16-feet-long yacht upside down. The entire foodstuff on board and even the propeller fell into the sea. The only thing left behind with the man was a mobile phone. After several attempts, the man was just able to turn over the water-filled yacht with all his strength. It was getting dark and the sea was getting rougher. As part of the yacht was damaged, the yacht owner called the police for assistance.
Right decision at critical moment
The medium Patrol Launch 9 of Marine East Division arrived at the scene in response to the yacht owner's call. Strong wind rendered rescue operation very difficult. Worse still, the yacht was shoved by powerful waves close to the submerged rocks at the shore. Pounding would hurt or kill the yacht owner and, under such situation, rescue work would be even more difficult.
The Officer on Watch, Sergeant Lai Wing-hong, deployed his colleagues for the rescue operation after evaluating the situation. First, the officers tried hard to make their own launch stable. Then they threw a rope to the yacht owner in a bid to pull the yacht away from the dangerous rocks. Unfortunately, the yacht owner failed to grasp the rope in the rough sea. The rope later got entangled with the propeller of the police launch, reducing its mobility instantly.
For the officers, this was a matter of life and death. So they kept trying despite tremendous difficulties. Undaunted by the loss of their launch's mobility, they threw out another rope. Finally, the yacht owner managed to get hold of the rope and tied it to his yacht.
Unswerving commitment
Finally, the officers pulled the yacht away from the submerged rocks and took the yacht owner and his puppy on board and lifted the yacht up to the launch. The yacht owner and his puppy were safe and sound and everyone onboard rejoiced at a successful rescue operation.
On the way back, the yacht owner expressed deep gratitude to the officers for risking their lives in the rescue operation. While protection of life and property being their primary duty, the officers took great pride in receiving recognition for their professional services.
