Principal says no red warning flags were flying when two pupils were drowned at Shek O beach, Hong Kong

The two teenage boys who drowned at Shek O beach on Monday were not reckless to go swimming because no red warning flags were hoisted at the time - contrary to initial news reports - their parents and school principal said.

"There were no red flags when the students went into the water around 8am, before the lifeguards arrived," said Cheng Tak-foo, principal of CNEC Lai Wing Sang Secondary School in Chai Wan, which held a memorial for the boys yesterday.

"Both sets of parents told me their sons were timid swimmers. They might have thought it would be safe to swim close to the shore, but the powerful waves swept them away," he said.

A Leisure and Cultural Services Department spokeswoman said: "As we understand it the two youngsters concerned were swimming before the start of our lifeguard service hours on October 1, and thus no flags were hoisted at the time of the incident."

A red flag was hoisted as soon as lifeguards went on duty at 9am on Monday. Red flags are not left flying overnight.

The students who drowned - Choy Lai-heng, 15, and Chan Yan-shi, 16 - spent Sunday night at the beach celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday with three other Form Five pupils. At about 8.20am on Monday - while swimming in a group - Choy, Chan and a third student, Tong Yim-kwan, were swept away by waves. A man rescued Tong, who was closest to shore.

"No one was able to swim out so far to rescue the boys," said Cheng. "The students called for help, and emergency workers arrived within 15 minutes, but by then the boys were gone."