Residents plan petition, but one operator says some are exploiting a diver's death to spread misinformation
Residents in an exclusive bay where a diver died after being struck by a passing vessel plan to raise a petition calling for speed limits and restrictions on the use of Zapcat high-speed dinghies.
They fear another tragedy if limits are not imposed on the use of the fashionable dinghies and other vessels in Lung Ha Wan, near Sai Kung, which have boomed in popularity among water sports fans in the past two years.
However, one Zapcat operator insisted the death of Bjorn Lohse was a tragic accident and accused some residents of using the tragedy to pursue a campaign against the dinghies, which can reach speeds up to 95km/h.
Lohse, 51, an experienced diver, died near his luxury yacht, Solitaire, in Lung Ha Wan on April 8. He was believed to have been struck by a Zapcat or other vessel when he surfaced from a dive, despite having put a marked buoy on the water.
No one witnessed the fatal collision but police have interviewed Zapcat users and others present on the day he was recovered from the seabed with head injuries. On the afternoon of his death, about a dozen of the dinghies were on the water, along with other vessels.
Restaurant owner Lohse, who leaves behind wife Barbara and 13-year-old adopted son Felix, was friends with many water sports fans for whom the Solitaire was a popular spot to meet for a drink and a chat. It was moored 500 metres out to sea on the day of his death.