Accomplishing mission in chilly weather
Bringing the criminals to justice is the sworn duty of police officers, which offers them a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. But the seemingly simple "locating missing persons" operation also brings officers satisfaction beyond description. Below is the story of a rescue operation for readers to share the bitters and joy of Sergeant Ah Man and his team-mates.
Saving life equally
important
It was a cold and windy morning when the Unit Commander announced during a routine briefing for Police Tactical Unit (PTU) officers in a police station that searching for a missing person on a hill would commence in 10 minutes. Ah Man and his team-mates then immediately began packing because a rescue operation, like that against gangsters, races with time and there is no room for delay.
Reality and
expectations
An elderly man who hiked alone in cold weather had been missing for three days. Officers from a Regional Missing Persons Unit, along with the PTU officers, went uphill to search for the hiker but to no avail. When it was getting dark, the officers returned to a makeshift command post, where the hiker's daughter watched them in despair. Ah Man, on standby at the command post, could only pray for a miracle.
Sense of mission
Suddenly the Government Flying Service (GFS) alerted the command post that a suspected human body without signs of life was found at the edge of a cliff. Driven by a sense of mission, Ah Man and his team-mates, without regard for their fatigue and the chilly weather, asked the commander for permission to go uphill again to complete an "impossible task".
Risky mission
Bracing strong northern wind, Ah Man and his team-mates finally reached a spot near a cliff edge, pin-pointed by the GFS. The hiker was lying on a protruding rock a few metres away from the cliff top. Ah Man immediately took out his equipment, secured himself to a rope to ensure his safety and inched his way to the hiker. Despite obvious injuries and multiple fractures, the elderly man still had weak pulse and breathing.
Love works wonders
The hiker, who was seriously injured, had been stranded on the cliff for three days. He could hardly open his eyes when he heard the voice from the rescuers. He asked Ah Man in a faint voice to jot down his last words. Hoping love would work wonders, Ah Man put the hiker in conversation with his daughter by placing a radio to his ears. Hearing his daughter's voice, the hiker burst into tears, opened his eyes and murmured some words. It was only after the hiker was airlifted to hospital that Ah Man could take a short break in the cold wind, with sweat, perhaps tears, running down his cheek.
Job satisfaction
When Ah Man and his team-mates were discussing their mission at the command post in the early morning, the Regional Commander paid an unexpected visit to officers and expressed his appreciation for a job well done.
Yung Shu Tau thanks Ah Man for sharing his story. If you also have a story to tell, please email storytelling@police.gov.hk. Yung Shu Tau colleague will contact you as soon as possible.
