A firefighter has died after he fell into a coma following injuries sustained from rescuing two hikers trapped below a cliff in Ma On Shan.
Principal firefighter Yau Siu-ming of Tin Sum fire station in Tai Wai was on a rescue mission with a colleague at Tiu Shau Ngam rocks.
The Fire Services Department received a request for assistance at 6:56pm on Tuesday. The firefighters arrived at 7:06pm but could only locate the hikers during the early hours of the next day.
The two hikers were stranded at a steep location, causing the Fire Services Department to deploy the High Angle Rescue Team.
The firefighter was trying to find different routes to reach them, through steep roads, wet gravel paths and forest. He slipped at around 5:21am and fell into a coma, according to a spokesperson for the Fire Services Department.
A helicopter was the only method available to pick the firefighter up from the cliff. He was rushed to Prince of Wales Hospital at around 4pm and pronounced dead less than half an hour later, Apple Daily reported.
The hikers were rescued and sent to Prince of Wales Hospital at around 5pm.
The Fire Services Department Staffs General Association expressed sadness over the passing of the firefighter. It promised to help his family as best as it can.
Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok, Secretary for the Civil Service Clement Cheung Wan-ching, Director of Fire Services Li Kin-yat, and deputy directors Leung Wai-hung and Yau Wai-keung visited the hospital following the incident.
