Hong Kong's hiking trails look like postcards until they don't. Since Friday, emergency teams have been scouring the rugged terrain for 68-year-old Chan Shuet-pui. He vanished after leaving his home in Ma On Shan. It's a story we hear too often in this city. People underestimate the green belts that hug our skyscrapers. They think because they can see the International Commerce Centre from the ridge, they're safe. They aren't.
Police and fire services are currently focusing their efforts on the areas around Ma On Shan and Sai Kung. These aren't just walks in the park. We're talking about dense subtropical scrub, sudden cliff drops, and weather that flips on a dime. Chan was last seen wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt, dark trousers, and black shoes. He's about 1.7 meters tall. If you’ve been on the trails in the eastern New Territories lately, think back. Every minute matters now.
The Reality of Missing Persons in the New Territories
When someone goes missing in Hong Kong’s wilderness, the clock is the enemy. By the time Monday morning rolled around, Chan had been gone for over 48 hours. In the world of search and rescue, the first 24 hours are the "Golden Period." After that, dehydration and exposure become the primary killers.
The Ma On Shan area is particularly tricky. It connects to the MacLehose Trail and several "rib" paths that aren't officially maintained. You take one wrong turn looking for a shortcut, and suddenly you’re in a gully with no cell reception. I’ve seen experienced hikers lose their bearings in the thick fog that rolls off the coast. For a 68-year-old, the physical toll of a night spent outdoors in March—where temperatures can dip significantly despite the humidity—is immense.
Why Older Hikers are High Risk
We need to talk about the demographics of these disappearances. Hong Kong has a massive culture of elderly "morning walkers." These are fit, active seniors who hit the trails daily. But there’s a trap here. Familiarity breeds overconfidence.
Often, these solo hikers don't leave a detailed route plan with family. They "just went for a stroll." That's likely what happened here. If the authorities don't know which specific trail a person took, they have to search thousands of hectares of vertical terrain. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack, except the haystack is made of thorns and granite.
The Gear Gap
Look at what Chan was wearing. A blue shirt and dark trousers. This is standard casual wear, not high-visibility trekking gear. In a dense forest canopy, dark colors are a nightmare for search helicopters using thermal imaging or visual spotters.
If you're heading out, wear neon. Orange, bright green, or red. It sounds overkill for a Saturday walk, but it's the difference between being spotted from a drone and lying invisible ten feet from a rescue team.
How the Search and Rescue Operation Works
The Government Flying Service (GFS) usually leads the charge from the air. You’ve probably heard the heavy thump of the H175 helicopters. On the ground, it’s a grueling mix of the Police Force, Fire Services Department (FSD), and the Civil Aid Service (CAS).
They don't just walk around randomly. They use "probability of area" mapping. They start at the last known point—in this case, his residence and nearby CCTV footage—and radiate outward. They check "catchments," which are natural drainage areas where a fallen or disoriented person might end up.
- Drones with AI: Recent years saw the HKPF deploy drones that can scan large swaths of hillside faster than humans.
- K-9 Units: Tracking dogs are essential, but their effectiveness drops if there’s heavy rain or if too much time has passed.
- Cell Signal Triangulation: If the missing person has a phone, even one that's dead, the last "ping" to a tower can narrow the search to a few hundred meters.
The Danger of the Ma On Shan Ridge
Ma On Shan isn't a beginner peak. The "Saddle" itself is steep. The paths leading toward Tiu Shue Hang or down toward Sai Kung are notorious for loose scree. One slip is all it takes. If Chan tried to descend via a non-official path to save time, he might have encountered "cliffs" that are actually vertical drops hidden by vegetation.
The humidity in Hong Kong also creates a unique hazard: slippery rocks. Even without rain, the condensation makes volcanic rock as slick as ice. For someone in their late 60s, a simple ankle sprain becomes a life-threatening event because it stops movement. Once you stop moving, you can't generate heat, and you can't reach water.
What You Can Do Right Now
If you have any information about Chan Shuet-pui, call the Regional Missing Person Unit of New Territories South at 3661 1173. Don't assume someone else already reported what you saw. That guy in a blue shirt you saw resting near a stream on Friday afternoon? That's the lead they need.
For everyone else, stop treating the Hong Kong backcountry like a shopping mall.
- Download the 'Enjoy Hiking' App: It has a tracking function that sends your GPS coordinates to the service center periodically. If you go missing, they have a breadcrumb trail.
- Tell Someone Your Route: Not just "I'm going to Ma On Shan." Tell them: "I am starting at Ma On Shan village, going up the peak, and finishing at Sai Kung Town Center by 4 PM."
- Carry a Whistle: Your voice will fail long before your lungs will. A whistle carries for miles across a valley.
- Power Banks are Mandatory: Your phone is your lifeline. Don't let it die because you were taking too many 4K videos of the view.
The search continues. We're hoping for a miracle, but as the hours stretch into days, the reality on the ground gets grimmer. This isn't just a news story; it's a reminder of how thin the line is between a weekend hobby and a survival situation.
