Grieving mother of Lamma victim tells of happy days on island
Irene Cheng can't bear to return to Lamma home where son grew up
Lamma Island should be a place full of family memories for Irene Cheng, the place where her beloved son started a prosperous career.
Instead, it was where Thomas Koo Man-cheung met his death at the age of 24. A strong swimmer, he and his girlfriend were among the 39 people who perished after the Lamma IV collided with Sea Smooth off the island on October 1.
Six months on from Hong Kong's worst sea tragedy in 40 years, the mother of two is still struggling to get over the loss of her son and lead a normal life.
"Earlier, my mood had become better. But when I attended the inquiry hearings and read the newspaper reports, it was inevitable that I would grieve deep inside. That's why I want the whole thing to come to an end," she says.
Cheng tells of how the family used to enjoy visiting Lamma for barbecues and swimming. "My husband enjoyed the natural landscape there," she says.
They bought a second home on the island when Koo was in primary school and spent countless days together as a family there for holidays. Later, when Koo was working at Hongkong Electric's power station on the island, he would stay at the house when he worked late at the plant.