A cadet firefighter who died during a training exercise may have been over-keen to prove himself, Chief Fire Officer Lau Shu-lam told an inquest yesterday.
Allan Ng Lai-kwong, 34, collapsed inside a smoke-filled simulator on July 10, 1997, and died in hospital the next morning from heat stroke.
Mr Lau said Ng, who has been hailed by colleagues as 'energetic, brave and courageous', might have been pushing himself too far.
'I think he was too keen to accomplish his task. This sense overcame his principle to follow his partner,' he said.
Ng's partner, Wong Ka-hung, had found 60 degrees Celsius unbearable and told Ng he had to leave.
Previously, another trainee had left the room several times complaining of the heat, but was sent back in by the instructor who said it was essential to build confidence, the court heard.