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A 59-year-old man died after suspected drowning during a triathlon event in Tai Mei Tuk, Tai Po, on Sunday (Aug 2).
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Police received a report at 7.57am that a male participant at the Tai Mei Tuk Water Sports Centre had entered the water during the swimming segment of the race but failed to resurface.
Rescue personnel launched a search operation, and firefighters later located the man at around 3pm. He was rescued and taken to hospital for emergency treatment, but was pronounced dead at 3.33pm.
The participant was understood to have entered the water at around 6am but failed to return to shore, prompting organizers to call the police for help. Police later seized his bicycle and other equipment from the scene.
The incident occurred while an Amber Rainstorm Warning Signal was in force. The Hong Kong Observatory issued a thunderstorm warning at 5.05am and an Amber Rainstorm Warning Signal at 6.10am.
Some participants said there was no rain or rough waves during the swimming segment, with one competitor saying the weather only worsened during the cycling segment. Another participant said conditions were not severe when the race began.
They added that organizers had guidelines to cancel the event if the Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal or the No. 3 Strong Wind Signal was issued.
According to the Triathlon Association of Hong Kong China’s website, the event held at Tai Mei Tuk was the 2026 Hong Kong Summer Triathlon Challenge, featuring four race categories: Challenge Distance, Sprint Distance, Discovery Distance and TriKids Distance. Participants were required to complete swimming, cycling and running segments within set time limits.
(Updated 4.16pm)
