31st December 2024 – (Hong Kong) In 2024, Hong Kong witnessed a tragic total of at least 19 hiking fatalities, continuing a downward trend in such incidents over the past two years as local hiking enthusiasm wanes. The majority of the deceased, nine individuals, were aged between 60 and 69, mirroring age distributions from previous years.
Notably, two fatal accidents occurred this year at Leung Tin Au in Tuen Mun Great Canyon, while Lion Rock has seen consecutive years of deaths from falls, serving as a stark reminder for hikers to exercise caution.
In January, a brother and sister, aged 57 and 55, drowned at Tai Tau Chau in Shek O after the sister was swept into the sea, while a 62-year-old man collapsed during a run in Tuen Mun and was later pronounced dead. February saw an 80-year-old man faint on Sir Cecil’s Ride, dying shortly after reaching the hospital, and a 34-year-old foreign man collapsed at Nam Shan Campsite on Lantau Island, failing to survive despite emergency treatment. In March, a 36-year-old man fell while hiking the MacLehose Trail in Sai Kung, subsequently vomiting and losing consciousness before dying in hospital; another man, aged 47, collapsed from suspected heatstroke during an orienteering event in Ma On Shan, and a man in his sixties went missing on Lamma Island, with his body later found, believed to be the result of a fall.
May brought the death of a 37-year-old visitor who fell from a height while climbing Lion Rock and succumbed to his injuries after being airlifted to a hospital, while a 62-year-old man went missing during a hike and was found deceased near Penfold Hill. In June, a 56-year-old man lost his way in Sai Kung and died in hospital after being discovered the following day. July saw a 61-year-old man found dead after falling into a drain near Lei Yue Mun while hiking, and in August, a 46-year-old Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department officer collapsed from suspected heatstroke while collecting plant samples at Tai Mo Shan. September marked the discovery of a 71-year-old man, missing for two weeks, found deceased near Fu Tei Au.
In October, a 67-year-old man was reported missing in Tuen Mun; his body was later found in a deep pit. December was particularly tragic, with a 63-year-old man dying from bee sting injuries while hiking at Pat Sin Leng, a 69-year-old man collapsing in Sai Kung and not surviving despite hospitalisation, and a 61-year-old man found unconscious at High Island Reservoir East Dam, who later died in hospital. Lastly, on December 29, a 61-year-old woman fell while hiking at Ngau Ngak Shan and died following rescue efforts, alongside a 34-year-old foreign man who collapsed while camping at Nam Shan Campsite on Lantau Island and did not survive.
As the year concludes, authorities noted that the number of hiking-related deaths has decreased from 27 in 2022 and 20 in 2023, reflecting a broader trend consistent with the post-pandemic cooling of hiking activities.
