Stay-aboard fisherman dies, two safe as fire engulfs boat
A mainland fisherman died yesterday when his boat caught fire east of Big Wave Bay.
Rescue workers found a body in the beached vessel last night, but it has not yet been identified.
His 30-metre fishing boat caught fire at 3.15pm while sailing past Luk Keng Wan at the south-western side of Tung Lung Chau.
The 42-year-old fisherman was on board the vessel with its 37-year-old Hong Kong owner and another mainland man, also 37.
'The owner of the boat jumped into the sea along with a crew member [after fire broke out],' a government spokeswoman said. 'The third man was said have stayed on the vessel and was reported missing.'
The two men who bailed out of the vessel were rescued by emergency workers.
Neither required hospital treatment.
The rescue operation involved fireboats, marine police launches and a helicopter. A search for the man who stayed on board was launched while firemen fought the blaze.
Four water-jet boats were deployed to put out the flames on the vessel, which was drifting away from the firefighters.
The boat later beached near Duck Rocks, off the shores of Clear Water Bay.
The rescue work was finished by 7pm but the cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Tung Lung Chau is about 4km east of Big Wave Bay on Hong Kong Island.
