WHAT!?

The missing captain not wearing his hat!!

Let's hope that H C doesn't find out, otherwise there will be another letter to the troops, from the uniform policeman himself...:zzz:

I've only walked on Lantau but, if you have the misfortune to fall off the path into the bush and are injured, you could be very difficult to find. The slopes are steep and thickly covered.
Wasn't there a French walker who disappeared a few years ago?

Captain Morrissey could still be alive - Police helicopter with IR at night when the bush cools?

Well, at least there's something to brighten our day.

Confirmed by the pilot's family that the hat did not belong to him. The newspaper said.

From today's HK Standard:

Cap Fails to Fit in Hiker Search

Colleen Lee

Monday, August 09, 2010

Searchers are yet to find any trace of New Zealand pilot Stephen Morrissey, four days after he went missing in Pat Sin Leng Country Park.

Hopes rose briefly yesterday when volunteers came across a hat, but a government spokeswoman said Morrissey's family and friends have confirmed it is not his.

Morrissey, 51, was last seen on Wednesday while hiking in Tai Po with colleague Mark Apperley.

The two men separated near the end of the Wilson Trail when Morrissey told Apperley he was going downhill to buy some water.

But Morrissey failed to turn up at a nearby bus terminus as arranged, or later that day at their Wan Chai hotel.

About 200 firemen, police officers and members of the Civil Aid Service continued combing the hills along the Wilson Trail yesterday.

Search dogs from the Hong Kong Search and Rescue Dog Association were also brought in, and a helicopter crew from the Government Flying Service scoured the area as on previous days. The government spokeswoman said Civil Aid Service sent about 150 members to search for the missing pilot yesterday.

Since Wednesday, a total of 266 fire officers have been searching along the ravines and trail without finding any trace of Morrissey, she said.

Morrissey's family and friends, who flew into Hong Kong on Friday, also continued to help in the search effort.

Police said earlier that Morrissey went missing while hiking around Wong Chuk Chuen.

Morrissey is about 1.8 meters tall, of thin build, has a pointed face, with short gray hair and white complexion, police said.

He was wearing metal-frame glasses, a gray T-shirt, green shorts, a black rucksack and carrying a blue umbrella.

Air Profit & Nitpicker.
What would I have done?
I would have taken along a knapsack with plenty of water, high energy rations, a torch, spare shirt and trousers, a hat and a mobile phone. They work in most areas in the country parks and have been used many times to raise an alert. I would not have separated from my companion.
However, given the circumstances, when he did not appear at the bus station rendezvous, his mate should have reported to the local police station. He could then have led the police to the scene without delay. It must have taken him at least 90 minutes to get from the bus station to their hotel.
A simple Google search of "Hiking+Hong Kong" will reveal several sites with all the information you need to prepare for a hike in the hills.
I hope he is soon found safe and well.

....and after all that I forgot to say that I sincerely hope he is found safe and sound....:ok:

From Dunnunda forum
 

I thought many airlines have policies against engaging in hazardous sporting activities during night stops, not that I think tramping is hazardous.

Does someone have a map of where he was last seen, where he went for water and where is the bus stop? :confused: What kind of distance are we talking about here?

Alright Nike, hkgmjq, Gnadenburg and the rest of the 'thread police', here goes:

I am not actually in HKG and therefore I unable to 'help' search for the gentleman in question. All I can do, like most of us, is speculate. I speculate, on PPRUNE, because I CAN!

There are some nasty things in them thar hills in Hong Kong. I myself have had a scary experience with a pack of wild dogs, there can be flash floods, landslides and some years ago a hiking QF steward was found after 3 days dead of a heart attack.

There are also snakes including cobras, and I have heard anecdotal evidence of a hiker being chased by a very large python. There may also be some not-so-nice humans too, including desperate illegal immigrants living off the land.

I think it can be assumed that every poster on this thread hopes for the best for Captain Morrissey; if they were not they would certainly would be 'weirdos'. It just doesn't have to be thrashed to death by the self-righteous and and the religious who only waste bandwidth.

Well said Captain Dart!!!:ok:

RTHK reports a body found near Tai Mei Tuk, not yet identified but it seems to be a sad ending to this.

Body of missing NZ pilot found in Tai Po

Regina Leung
5:55pm, Aug 11, 2010

After several days of searches, police and rescue teams on Wednesday afternoon found the body of a missing Air New Zealand pilot in Pat Sin Leng Country Park in Tai Po, a police spokesman said.

Stephen John Morrissey, 51 went missing last Wednesday while hiking in the area with a fellow pilot from the airline.

About 2.40pm, police found his body down a hillside near a lake in Pat Sin Leng Country Park.

Police contacted Morrissey's family and friends, who identified the body on Wednesday afternoon. The New Zealander’s mobile phone, camera and a backpack were found near his body, local media reported.

Morrissey went hiking from Tai Po to Pat Sin Leng Country Park with Captain Mark Apperley last Wednesday morning.

Apperley said that when they reached Spring Breeze Pavilion, a rain shelter on the southern slope of Hsien Ku Fung, the pair separated. This was because Morrisey ran out of water and wanted to buy some from below a nearby hill, Apperley said.

The men had arranged to meet at a bus stop in Wong Chuk Tsuen. But after waiting for some time, Apperley returned to his hotel and called police on Wednesday evening.

Police, Government Flying Service officers and sniffer dogs began searching for Morrissey last Thursday. They took recent photos of the pilot and placed notices with his photo at points along the country park.

Members of Morrissey’s family and friends joined in the search which continued over the weekend until Wednesday.

RIP Chook. I enjoyed flying with you.

Chook, it was an absolute pleasure to have flown with you, your dry whit always brightened up the day and seeing your name on the roster always assured a pleasant day out around the traps on the Metro.
May you rest in peace.