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Lai Ho-yin, HK Electric's recreational officer. Photo: Edward Wong

Lamma ferry trial hears passengers screamed for help after deadly collision

A recreational officer at Hongkong Electric who survived the Lamma ferry crash described yesterday how the company's trip to see the National Day fireworks ended in the deaths of 39 people, including eight children.

Thomas Chan

A recreational officer at Hongkong Electric who survived the Lamma ferry crash described yesterday how the company's trip to see the National Day fireworks ended in the deaths of 39 people, including eight children.

Lai Ho-yin said he had prepared a fun quiz with prizes for the trip, but tragedy struck within minutes of setting off from Lamma with 124 passengers on board. All the dead had been onboard the electricity company's vessel Lamma IV when it collided with the Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry catamaran Sea Smooth.

More than two years after the tragedy on October 1, 2012, Lai took the stand at the High Court where Lamma IV captain Chow Chi-wai, 58, and Sea Smooth skipper Lai Sai-ming, 56, are both pleading not guilty to 39 counts of manslaughter and two counts of endangering the safety of others at sea.

Led by prosecutor Andrew Bruce SC, Lai Ho-yin said: "Five to 10 minutes after leaving the shelter … I saw a vessel approaching us, directly towards our direction."

At that point he was on the bridge with Chow and estimated the distance between the vessels at 100 metres. "When that vessel was very close to us, I saw the coxswain turn the wheel to starboard to avoid [the Sea Smooth]," Lai said.

It was in vain and the subsequent impact of the collision threw Lai back against a wall of the bridge, the court heard. When he got back on his feet, he immediately ran to check on the passengers.

"I noticed an injured elderly man lying on the floor … with blood oozing from him," Lai said. "Initially, the situation was quite calm … When the vessel was about to sink, the passengers started to panic and the situation became confusing."

Standing near the stern, Lai threw lifebuoys to passengers on the deck before he fell in.

"I shouted for help. Those nearby in the sea also shouted for help," he said.

"I saw a girl in front of me. I told her not to move around and to stay calm. But because of the current, we separated."

Lai was rescued by a small boat and taken to Ap Lei Chau.

One of those who came to the rescue was Cheung Tim-fai, the captain of a passing pleasure boat.

Cheung told the court that when he first saw the Lamma IV, it was still afloat. "When I was about 30 to 40 metres away from her, it started to tilt. Within a minute, her stern sank," he said. "The whole vessel sank very quickly."

He added: "When the vessel was tilting, I was quite close to her, and we could hear many people shouting for help."

Cheung said that he and his passengers started throwing lifebuoys towards people in the water and turned on a spotlight to locate people in the sea. He also switched off his engine to avoid running over people in the sea, he added.

Asked by barrister Gerard McCoy SC, for Chow, if the Sea Smooth took any steps to join in the rescue effort, Cheung said: "I did not see it do that."

Cheung recalled that at one stage the Sea Smooth was reversing.

He agreed with McCoy's suggestion that the catamaran was reversing "at high speed", and he had to take action to avoid it crashing into his own boat.

The trial continues today.

 

The South China Morning Post does not make reports of ongoing jury trials available for comment by our readers. This policy applies to all such trials and is intended to ensure Hong Kong’s laws on contempt of court are observed. Readers will be able to comment on these stories as soon as the trial concerned ends.

 

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: 'I'd planned fun and prizes, instead disaster struck'
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