Ming Pao Breaking NewsMost of the "facts" in the Ming Pao breaking news story above seem to be wrong. I've been interviewing ferry staff, Pak Kok residents, neighbours and relatives of the lady who drowned today, this is what we know so far, but no guarantees if all the facts are correct. For even more info: Mrs. Chan of the Pak Kok shop...
My condolences go out to the lady's friends and relatives.
A local elderly lady, 81 years old, a neighbour of ours in Pak Kok New Village, drowned today at the Pak Kok ferry pier, after falling off a sampan from Aberdeen, between 12:30-1pm. She had returned from Aberdeen in a hurry, not waiting for the next ferry, because her son, 46, was unexpectedly visiting her and waiting outside her home, but didn't have a key. Her helper was with her, but couldn't save her, neither the sampan driver. The helper calling the son, he rushed down to try saving her, but almost drowned himself and had to be saved himself, being in critical condition in hospital now. Police and reporters arrived at the pier soon afterwards.
Sampans are really dangerous, from our own experiences doing the same ride from Aberdeen to Lamma a few times after the last ferry departed. Don't take a sampan if you can't swim reasonably well and even then, almost all other boats and ships around the sampan are much bigger and faster...