The quick action and joint effort by officers from the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories South (RMPU NTS) and the Police Dog Unit (PDU) saved an 81-year-old woman from the brink of death on September 24, nearly 31 hours after she was reported missing from a home for the elderly in Tai Wai, Sha Tin. A combined search party comprising the officers found the old lady lying at the bottom of a small water channel on a hill slope in Tung Lo Wan Hill area. She was soaked in rainwater, covered with mud and foliage, and had visible injuries to her forehead and limbs. Following first aid treatment by nurses of the elderly home, she was admitted to Prince of Wales Hospital.

The old lady was still staying in hospital when OffBeat interviewed the officer in charge of RMPU NTS, Woman Senior Inspector Tam Mei-po, about her search operation on October 10, reflecting the seriousness of her ordeal as well as the danger she had faced.

The old lady's daughter asked the Police for help later in the morning after her mother was found missing from the at elderly home at about 5 am on September 23. A search was conducted in the places frequented by the old lady and the vicinity of the elderly home by Sha Tin District but preliminary enquiries turned out nothing. The station referred this 'Missing Person At Risk' case to RMPU NTS for follow-up action the next morning.

After learning the missing person was suffering from diabetes, hypertension and cataract, and had stroke in the past, WSIP Tam immediately mobilised her staff to form a search party, and called in the assistance of PDU.

After ascertaining all the facts with key staff of the elderly home, WSIP Tam wasted no time in starting the search operation in the elderly home first.

"With the help of the police dogs, we combed every corner, and searched from top to ground floors, but there was no sight of the granny," said WSIP Tam.

She then briefed and split the search party into two teams, each accompanied by a police dog, and began a thorough search of the area surrounding the home for the elderly.

With painstaking efforts, PCs Chiu King-yin and Siu Chi-cheung in one of the teams spotted the old lady lying in a water channel after climbing to the top of a remote hill slope. To the relief of the officers, the granny was still able to open her eyes feebly in response to their calls.

Her daughter immediately rushed to the scene, obviously overcome by emotion.

The old lady's granddaughter, Miss Ada Fung, was very grateful to RMPU NTS, and on the day of the OffBeat interview called on WSIP Tam with a "thank you" card.

"My grandmother suddenly disappeared from the elderly home, and we were certain she was missing. This has never happened before and my family was naturally very worried because she has to take medicine regularly and there was a typhoon on that day. We didn't know what to do, except making a report to the police. I myself and my family really do not know how to express our gratitude adequately," Ada told OffBeat.

Other officers taking part in the search were Station Sergeant Lai Chi-yau, Sergeant Fung Wai-man, Woman Sergeant Lee Pui-yiu, Police Constables Tong Kam-cho and Law Tsz-shing, and Woman Police Constables Wong Ka-man and Law Wai-fun, all from RMPU NTS, and Station Sergeant Chang Chun-wah, Senior Police Constables Ip Kwok-wing and Yeung Kai-cho as well as two Labradors, Chrissie and Coby of PDU.

The missing person's granddaughter, Ms Ada Fung (third left), calls at RMPU NTS with a "thank you" card to express heart-felt thanks