Drunk Foreigner Missing While Swimming in Sea, Rescued After 3H

Drunk Foreigner Swims to "Prove Strength," Goes Missing for 3 Hours Before Being Rescued

A swimming incident occurred on Friday night, 29th November, on Lamma Island, about a 45-year-old British man being rescued after being missing at sea for over three hours. The incident took place around 7 p.m. when the police received a report that the man had gone swimming at Mo Tat Wan, a bay on the island, but failed to return after about 30 minutes. During the time, distress calls were heard from the sea, prompting his friends to suspect that he might have drowned.

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Rescue teams, including the fire department's frogman team and the Government Flying Service (GFS), were dispatched to search for the man. Despite their efforts, no sign of him was found initially. A GFS helicopter was also deployed, and after hours of searching, the man was eventually located approximately 3.8 kilometers from Lamma Island, off the coastline of Ap Lei Chau's South Horizons area. He was found stranded in the sea, unable to reach the shore, and was rescued by the police and firefighters at around 10:20 p.m.

The man, who was intoxicated, had been swimming for nearly three and a half hours when he was found. He was promptly sent to the hospital for medical checkups. Upon being rescued, the man was shirtless and only wearing shorts, reeking of alcohol.

According to reports, the man, a resident of Ap Lei Chau, had arrived on Lamma Island in the afternoon with six friends. Around 3 p.m., they set off from Aberdeen to Lamma Island, where they had dinner at a restaurant. During the dinner, the man became increasingly intoxicated and began boasting to his friends that he was capable of swimming from Mo Tat Wan back to Ap Lei Chau. Without further warning, he stripped off his clothes and plunged into the sea, leaving his friends worried about his well-being. As the sun set, they grew concerned when they could no longer see him and began searching along the coastline. After failing to find him, they decided to call the police.

The police, fire department, and GFS launched a joint search and rescue operation. After hours of unsuccessful attempts, the man was finally located near Ap Lei Chau, and authorities quickly intervened, throwing him a life ring and rescuing him from the water. 

The police later interviewed the man, who explained that he had attempted the swim to prove his physical strength to his friends.

Source: 星岛环球网, 點新聞

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