Hiker, 69, falls to death on notorious Lantau Island trail

A 69-year-old man fell to his death on Sunday while trekking on one of the most difficult hiking trails on Lantau Island.

The man surnamed Lau was an avid hiker who had gone walking with a group of 15 friends to Kau Nga Ling, also known as “Dog’s Teeth Range”, south of Lantau Peak, Wen Wei Pao reported.

The group started at Shek Pik at 9am and arrived at a crag called “Slim Chance of Survival” at around 1:30pm.

Lau – the leader of the group – suddenly lost his balance and fell 20 meters off the cliff.

A friend of Lau immediately called the police and a rescue mission was mounted with firemen and government flying services. However, Lau was pronounced dead at the scene when the rescue team located his body.

Only very experienced hikers should attempt the Kau Nga Ling hike as there is a precipitous jagged cluster of rocks along the ridge, Chung Kin-man, founder of the Hong Kong Mountaineering Training Centre said, Sing Tao Daily reported.

Chung said ‘Slim Chance of Survival’ is known to be one of the most dangerous spots along the route, as it has a narrow path wide enough for only one person to pass through. Hikers have to scramble up with their hands and legs over rocks that are broken and unstable.