A 24-year-old woman who was rescued after her kayak capsized in a sudden bout of bad weather on Sunday has died.

Pak Sha Chau Sai Kung kayak canoe
Pak Sha Chau in Sai Kung. Photo: sch0705, via Flickr CC2.0.

The woman, surnamed Lau, passed away at Tseung Kwan O Hospital at around 1:20 a.m. on Monday, around nine hours after the accident in Sai Kung’s Pak Sha Chau.

Hong Kong was hit by an abrupt spell of rain and thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon. The Observatory warned of “intense gusts reaching 70 km/h” in a tweet just before 4 p.m.

The thunderstorm warning was first issued at 2:45 p.m., but the weather had remained calm until the late afternoon.

Lau was among eight people – including two children – who were rescued off Pak Sha Chau at around 4 p.m., when big waves caused some kayaks to capsize, tipping paddlers into the water.

Lau was unconscious at the time of her rescue but regained consciousness after undergoing CPR en route to Tseung Kwan O Hospital, HK01 reported.

However, her condition took a turn for the worse in the hospital, local media reported, and attempts to revive her failed.

According to local media, there were around 20 kayaks off Pak Sha Chau – its Chinese name literally meaning “white sand island ” – at the time. The island, a short boat ride from the Sai Kung Public Pier, is a popular kayaking spot.

Tseung Kwan O Hospital
Tseung Kwan O Hospital. Photo: Wikicommons.

Authorities received around 20 calls for help within an hour around the time that the squalls hit, according to HK01. Most were related to people taking part in water activities in places including Ma On Shan and Tai Po.

Last year, a man in his 60s died after being struck by lightning while swimming near Green Egg Island in the southern part of Sai Kung.

Support HKFP  |  Policies & Ethics  |  Error/typo?  |  Contact Us  |  Newsletter  | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps

TRUST PROJECT HKFP
SOPA HKFP
IPI HKFP

Help safeguard press freedom & keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team

press freedom day hkfp
contribute to hkfp methods
YouTube video

HKFP has an impartial stance, transparent funding, and balanced coverage guided by an Ethics Code and Corrections Policy. 

YouTube video

Support press freedom & help us surpass 1,000 monthly Patrons: 100% independent, governed by an ethics code & not-for-profit.

Support HKFP  |  Code of Ethics  |  Error/typo?  |  Contact Us  |  Newsletter  |  Annual & Transparency Report

Hillary Leung is a journalist at Hong Kong Free Press, where she reports on local politics and social issues, and assists with editing. Since joining in late 2021, she has covered the Covid-19 pandemic, political court cases including the 47 democrats national security trial, and challenges faced by minority communities.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Hillary completed her undergraduate degree in journalism and sociology at the University of Hong Kong. She worked at TIME Magazine in 2019, where she wrote about Asia and overnight US news before turning her focus to the protests that began that summer. At Coconuts Hong Kong, she covered general news and wrote features, including about a Black Lives Matter march that drew controversy amid the local pro-democracy movement and two sisters who were born to a domestic worker and lived undocumented for 30 years in Hong Kong.