SG tourist, 63, dies in suspected drowning incident in Hong Kong hotel jacuzzi

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean male tourist was found dead in a jacuzzi in a hotel in Hong Kong on Thursday (Oct 10). He has been identified as a Mr Leong, age 63.

According to news reports, Mr Leong had been in Hong Kong sightseeing with his wife and son. The family had checked in at the Royal Plaza Hotel in the Mong Kok district and had planned to stay in the city until mid-October.

Mr Leong had several health issues, including epilepsy, heart disease, and high blood pressure, his wife told the local authorities.

The South China Morning Post said that while nothing suspicious has been discovered in the preliminary investigations, there will be a post-mortem to determine the cause of Mr Leong’s death.

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What happened on the morning of Oct 10

Mr Leong first went to the jacuzzi, which was located next to the hotel’s swimming pool, shortly past 8:30 on Thursday morning. News sources have said that he went to the jacuzzi alone.

However, by 9:06 am, he was no longer visible on the CCTV cameras in the area.

According to the news outlet Sing Tao, at around 9:20 am, Mr Leong was found unconscious in the jacuzzi and a lifeguard pulled him out of the one-metre-deep water, suspecting that he had drowned.

“During the incident, the on-duty lifeguard swiftly provided first aid upon noticing the guest’s distress and ensured his immediate transfer to the hospital,” AsiaOne quotes the hotel as saying.

First aid was applied, after which the authorities were called.

A police source told SCMP that Mr Leong was brought to Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei. By  10.34 am, however, the Singapore passport holder was declared dead.

“Our sincerest thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends during this difficult time,” Mothership quoted Royal Plaza Hotel as saying, adding that it was “deeply heartbroken” by his death.

The hotel also said that it would refrain from sharing further details in order to honour the privacy of the family and in light of the ongoing investigation.

The Straits Times reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has extended consular assistance to Mr Leong’s family members via its Consulate-General in Hong Kong. It quoted a spokesperson for the ministry as saying that the “MFA extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved family.” /TISG

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