On receiving a missing person report in respect of an enthusiastic elderly hill hiker who needed to take medication for his blood pressure and blood sugar, alarm bell started ringing especially because of not only his health condition but also the very hot and humid August weather.  The elder had left Wong Tai Sin to go hiking near the Castle Peak Country Park.

 

The relatives of the missing person were extremely worried and pleaded for swift action as he had not returned home on the night of his disappearance.

 

The Regional Missing Persons Unit Kowloon East acted immediately, comforting the relatives and mounting a series of hill searches and coastline sweeps with the assistance of New Territories North Region, Marine West Division, Government Flying Service and Civil Aid Service over the next six days.  All communication channels were exhausted and many leaflets were distributed in the hope the elder would be found.  Eventually on the sixth day the missing person was found near Lung Kwu Tan, Tuen Mun, by a villager who recognised the elder from the information circulated.  The missing person was immediately taken to Tuen Mun Hospital and his relatives were informed accordingly.  It was joyful to see the relatives' tears change to smiles.  All who had taken part in the search were greatly relieved because saving life and rendering assistance to the public are some of our core duties.