Elderly worker dies after falling from barge at Tai Po pier

A 78-year-old worker drowned after slipping off a barge at Tai Po on Saturday afternoon, despite desperate rescue efforts by coworkers.

At Sam Mun Tsai Pier in Tai Po shortly before 1pm today, a 78-year-old laborer slipped while disembarking from a barge and plunged into the water.

Colleagues spotted the man, surnamed Sin, struggling in the sea and immediately jumped in to haul him back aboard before alerting emergency services.

Paramedics performed CPR on arrival, but he remained unconscious and was rushed to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Preliminary police inquiries suggest the miscellaneous worker misstepped while stepping off the vessel.

The case is classified as an industrial incident, with the exact cause of death pending autopsy results.

Sources indicate the victim could not swim and cried for help after falling; fellow workers responded swiftly, yet he was already unresponsive when pulled from the water.