Hong Kong teen missing for week ‘ate leaves and drank stream water’ to survive while lost in Ma On Shan Country Park
- Matthew Tsang fainted while hiking and when he regained consciousness, it was already dark and he became lost, insider says
- Teen was found in Ma On Shan Country Park after going missing last Wednesday
A teenager missing for a week said he ate leaves and drank stream water to stay alive while lost in a Hong Kong country park, the Post has learned.
Rescuers found Matthew Tsang Hin-chit in thick undergrowth about 100 metres (328 feet) from a path near Lo Shue Tin in Ma On Shan Country Park at around 2.15pm on Wednesday, authorities said.
The 17-year-old boy left his school, the Diocesan Boys’ School in Mong Kok, last week and failed to return home. Hundreds of police, firefighters and volunteers were then mobilised to comb the country park daily, pausing only when a typhoon over the weekend triggered storm alerts.
According to a source familiar with the case, the teen said he felt unhappy and had left the campus for a walk in the countryside in Shek Mun, Sha Tin, where he and classmates had previously trained for dragon boat races.
But he fainted while hiking and when he regained consciousness, it was dark and he soon lost his bearings, the insider said. Matthew said he survived by drinking stream water and eating leaves and whatever wild fruit he could find, according to the source.
When the approaching Typhoon Koinu triggered rainstorms, his clothes became wet and left him cold, so he took them off.
