When China jailed two Americans living in Hong Kong for 10 months over a yacht trip to Macau
- After three yachts went missing on a trip to Macau in 1969, it turned out the Hong Kong residents on board were being held for ‘intruding’ in Chinese waters
- All were released within seven weeks bar two Americans and their boat; they turned up in Hong Kong 10 months later to the surprise of the US State Department
“Government is endeavouring to obtain further definite information on the three missing yachts with 15 local residents on board, believed to have been captured and detained by the Chinese during a holiday trip to Macao on Sunday [February 16, 1969],” reported the South China Morning Post on February 19, 1969.
“The 15 people on board the three yachts, Morasum, Uin-Na-Mara and Reverie, comprise 11 foreigners and four Chinese.
“First news of the apparent capture broke when a radio message was flashed from the yawl Morasum at 11.52am on Sunday that it was being boarded.
“A short while later, a passing vessel informed the Marine Department that three yachts were seen being towed by junks.”
On February 22, the Post reported that “China has not yet replied to a Government request for information about the 15 missing people on board the three yachts seized in Chinese waters last Sunday.”
On April 5, under the headline “HK rolls out red carpet for yacht crews”, the Post reported that “nine foreigners and four Chinese returned to the Colony on Thursday [April 3] after one-and-a-half months’ detention in China for ‘illegally intruding’ into Chinese territorial waters. Two Americans who sailed with them […] are still detained.”
It wasn’t until December 7 that the last two detainees were freed.
“Mr Simeon Baldwin and Mrs Bessie Hope Donald yesterday celebrated their first full day on Hongkong soil after ten months’ detention in China by meeting friends and receiving cables from relatives in the US,” the Post reported on December 9.
“Their favourite food was another luxury they enjoyed yesterday […] black charcoal steak for Mr Baldwin.
“A spokesman from the US State Department said the release of the pair came as a surprise.”
