Man drowns after jumping off unstable boat during Hong Kong fishing trip

A man has drowned after jumping off a boat that had run aground and started to list during a fishing trip in the waters off Hong Kong’s eastern New Territories.

The angler, 47, and his friend set off along Lam Tsuen River aboard a seven-metre-long (23-foot-long) sampan at around 10.30pm on Monday during the Mid-Autumn Festival and headed for the waters off Lo Fu Wat in Tolo Channel, about 12km (7.45 miles) east.

A source said the pair fished together every couple of months and were familiar with the route, adding that the boat also had life jackets.

The boat became stuck in the waters near Lo Fu Wat at around 11pm.

The pair opted to wait aboard the boat in the hopes that the rising tide would free the vessel, but the boat began to list at around 5.10am on Tuesday, prompting the duo to abandon ship and attempt to swim to shore, the source said.

The insider added that the victim entered the water first and quickly became trapped by unstable currents, leaving him unable to reach the shore or return to the boat.