Search for 81-year-old hiker missing in Tuen Mun enters third day

The search for an 81-year-old mainland Chinese man who went missing while hiking on Hong Kong’s MacLehose Trail entered its third day on Monday, with a veteran mountaineer calling for better promotion to raise visitors’ safety awareness.A team comprising rescuers from the Fire Services Department, Government Flying Service, Civil Aid Service and police continued its search for the man, surnamed He, who went missing on Saturday while hiking with his wife along the trail.According to a social media post by the Hong Kong Guardians volunteer rescue team, the couple began their hike at around 8.20am at the trail entrance near Hoh Fuk Tong College and walked for an hour along Section 10 towards Tai Lam Chung Reservoir in Tuen Mun.A source said that an hour into the hike, He grew tired and decided to rest at a pavilion, parting temporarily with his wife as she continued without him. He carried only a little water and a mobile phone without roaming service.Not long after, it began to rain heavily and an amber rainstorm warning came into effect at 9.50am, lasting until 4pm.According to the source, the wife took shelter at another pavilion for an hour. She made her way back to find her husband at 2pm, but got lost and arrived at their meeting point two hours later. He was nowhere to be found and the wife later returned to their son’s home in Tuen Mun. Their son called police.A monk hiking on the same trail that day said on Monday that He had encountered the pair before the man went missing and that both appeared to be in good shape when He saw them.