Tragedy struck the annual New World Harbour Race yesterday after a swimmer died.
Another swimmer, a 59-year-old woman surnamed Cheung, was also hospitalised. Local media reports say she is in critical condition.
Both she and the deceased, a 46-year-old man surnamed Ho, were competing in a recreational race across the harbour with over 2,000 other swimmers.
Ming Pao reports that fellow swimmers saw Ho struggling in the water at around 9:30am yesterday and notified lifeguards, who pulled him out of the water near the race’s finish line at Quarry Bay. He was taken to hospital but could not be resuscitated.
The 46-year-old is survived by his wife, 15-year-old daughter, and four-year-old son.
Cheung, who had been pulled out of the water roughly 15 minutes before Ho, remains in the intensive care unit at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital.
Organisers said 2,734 local and international swimmers took part in the 1,500-metre-race from Lei Yue Mun village in Kowloon to Quarry Bay Park. Around 2,330 swimmers took part in last year’s race, according to the SCMP.
Apple Daily reports that 120 lifeguards were present, in comparison to the 110 on hand last year.
Ronnie Wong, president of the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association, which organised the event, told reporters that there were “sufficient lifeguards” but promised to discuss methods of improving the safety of future races with the Hong Kong Lifesaving Society.
The first cross-harbour race was held in 1906, but was put on hiatus from 1978 to 2011 after the harbour’s water quality declined.
Ho is the first participant to die since the race was resumed five years ago.
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