Swimmers ignore safety net a day after fatality
Swimmers still hit Clear Water Bay Second Beach yesterday and swam outside the shark protection net, despite a 66-year-old man being killed by a speedboat there the day before.
On Saturday, a speedboat with four people on board and towing a banana boat failed to spot the man and crashed into him. The speedboat driver, 55, was arrested for endangering life at sea under the Shipping and Port Control Ordinances. He was not charged and was released on $5,000 police bail.
Alan Siu Yu-bun, deputy director for leisure services at the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, described the incident as an extremely rare case.
Yesterday, the beach was packed as usual, although lifeguards urged people not to swim outside the net on the beach. Some lifeguards also stepped up their patrolling outside the net, demanding people who were swimming outside the net swim back inside.
The victim was a regular at the beach. His family members said he retired two years ago and he swam quite well. On Saturday, he was swimming with his friends before the accident occurred.
Although the victim was swimming outside the net, which was 400 metres off Clear Water Bay Second Beach, police said the speed limit of the area was 5 nautical miles per hour. A police spokesman said yesterday the force was still investigating if the boat was speeding.
