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A family’s trip to watch waves during Super Typhoon Ragasa ended with a mother and her five-year-old son being swept into the sea and landing in intensive care.
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Hong Kong’s security minister announced he would consider creating new legislation to stop people from storm chasing.
Hong Kong’s security chief is considering new laws to stop storm chasing after a woman and her five-year-old son were left in intensive care when a giant wave swept them into the sea.
The incident happened while the No 8 signal for Super Typhoon Ragasa was in effect.
On Thursday, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung warned that bringing children to such dangerous activities could be seen as neglect. His comments came after dozens of people ignored government warnings and flocked to the seaside to watch the massive waves brought by Ragasa.
“I feel heartbroken seeing parents treating [storm chasing] as fun and bringing their children along to watch the waves. You are actually endangering your children,” he said. “Think of your family and the rescuers who take a risk to save you.”
Last Tuesday, a family went to a breakwater in Chai Wan. The mother and son were dragged into the sea by the waves, and the father jumped in to save them. As of last Wednesday, the mother and son were in critical condition, while the father was in serious condition.
Tang said existing laws could already target storm chasers. For instance, a rule introduced last year means anyone entering a public beach closed during a storm can be fined HK$2,000 and jailed for up to 14 days. Tang also warned that refusing to leave a dangerous area when instructed to do so by police could lead to a charge of obstructing an officer.
Tang stressed that the main goal is to make people aware of danger: “Even if I introduce 10 new laws, you will be at risk if you do not comply with them,” he added, urging the public not to underestimate the power of storms.
Super Typhoon Ragasa paralysed the city for nearly two days. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the No 8 signal last Tuesday afternoon. It was then upgraded to the highest level, No 10, early the next day, remaining at this level for nearly 11 hours.
Following Ragasa, authorities were left racing to clean up the damage, including 1,200 toppled trees.
The typhoon caused more than 100 injuries in Hong Kong and claimed at least 17 lives in Taiwan.
