Desperate Hong Kong parents continue search for son missing since Wednesday as Typhoon Koinu nears
- Amy Chan and her husband head out to Ma On Shan Country Park where Matthew Tsang was last spotted after leaving school and not returning home
- They were joined by search party consisting of police, the Fire Services Department and Civil Aid Services, as well as volunteers, but No 8 signal forced search to end
Amy Chan and her husband woke up at 6am on Sunday and despite an approaching typhoon that darkened Hong Kong’s skies, they set out once again to search for their 17-year-old son who had been missing since Wednesday.
Matthew Tsang Hin-chit was last spotted stepping out of Shek Mun station and walking towards Ma On Shan Country Park along Hang Shin Link in Siu Lik Yuen at around 2.30pm that day last week after he left the Diocesan Boys’ School in Mong Kok.
“We followed police’s information and walked the same route where Matthew was spotted from Shek Mun station. We just used our parents’ instinct to walk up the hills, thinking what would Matthew have walked towards next if he was hiking with us,” Chan said.
She said she had to return at one point as the path was too steep and ran into a search party consisting of police, the Fire Services Department and Civil Aid Services, numbering between 80 and 100 in total.
Chan was speaking after the Observatory issued a No 8 alert for Typhoon Koinu at 12.40pm on Sunday, which was further raised to No 9 at 7pm. The forecaster has said it will consider raising the signal to the maximum No 10, depending on wind conditions. Authorities received reports of at least eight people injured as the weather worsened.
Chan expressed appreciation for the Countryside Volunteer Search Team and a group consisting of alumni and parents of Matthew’s schoolmates in helping search for the teen.
“The rescue team divided into three groups and covered the Shek Mun hillside and they started on Saturday evening till this morning at 3am and showed up again,” she said.