A new mobile app will be a smart solution for hikers in trouble.
The "HKSOS" app, which will be connected to the 999 emergency hotline, will allow users to enter their hiking details and send out a unique signal.
"Once a hiker hits the SOS button in the app, we can detect the hiker's phone's SOS signal over a long distance with our radars," the police said.
The number of search-and-rescue missions has risen, from fewer than 200 in 2019 to more than 1,000 in 2022.
Many hiking locations have mountains, which pose great challenges to rescuers. More people have become keen on adventurous hiking since the pandemic.
