Officers locate missing mum

(This letter was sent to the Airport District Commander)

I am writing regarding a case involving my mother who arrived on a flight from London on January 12. As she suffers from Alzheimer's disease, she was supposed to have been escorted into my wife's care on arrival.

The airline's ground staff left my mother on her own either before or after immigration and from that point she disappeared for eight hours. My wife tried for some time to generate some urgency into a search for my mother with the airline's staff, but to no avail. Only when your officers were informed of my mother's disappearance did my wife feel that her concerns were being taken seriously. My mother was finally found in Tung Chung by an officer and was returned to my care shortly after.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and all the officers involved in the investigation for the exhaustive efforts that were made to locate my mother during the time she was missing. I was kept up to date as events unfolded and procedures were explained to me as we went along. The whole investigation demonstrated how professionalism, organisation, communication, discipline and the need to leave no stone unturned, could produce results. Fortunately, in this case, my mother was unharmed and was now enjoying her stay in Hong Kong.

I would like to pass on my sincere thanks to Airport Deputy District Commander Steve Wordsworth and all officers involved in the case for their support, empathy and of course the safe return of my mother. It was an impressive effort that deserves more than just these few words.

Aaron Smith
Hung Hom