2
1
MONDAY, JUNE 15, 1992
"WHAT HAVEN'T CHANGED THROUGHOUT THE YEARS ARE AND EAGERNESS OF ALL OF US HERE TO RESPOND PROMPTLY TO GIVE A HELPING HAND TO THOSE WHOSE LIVES
THE READINESS
TO EMERGENCIES, ARE AT RISK, HE ADDED.
**
AS AN ARDENT CLIMBER, HE LIKES TO SCALE NEW HEIGHTS. NOT BEEN THWARTED BY ANY HILL IN THE TERRITORY.
ROYAL AIR
HE HAS
FORCE
THE
IN 1967, THE CAS TOOK OVER FROM THE MOUNTAIN RESCUE JOB. HE WAS THE FIRST COMMANDER OF THE MOUNTAIN RESCUE UNIT. IT STARTED WITH A POOL OF 30 RESCUERS.
THE UNIT
NOW WITH A 70-MEMBER TEAM OF SKILLED MOUNTAINEERS, IS ALWAYS ON STANDBY DUTY TO SEARCH FOR AND RESCUE MISSING AND INJURED HIKERS.
SUNDAYS MR LAM SAID UNIT MEMBERS MAINTAINED STANDBY DUTIES ON AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, ADDING THAT A RESCUE TEAM CAN BE MOBILISED WITHIN AN HOUR AFTER A CALL WAS RECEIVED.
THE UNIT RESPONDED TO AN AVERAGE OF 16 TO 20 CALLOUT OPERATIONS
A YEAR.
FALLEN INTO REMINISCENCE, UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES IN HIS SERVICE.
AND BITTER MEMORIES TOO.
ME
LAM
SAID
THERE
WERE MANY
TO RESCUE A "I REMEMBER HOW WE FOUGHT ALL THE ADVERSITIES
WHICH DESPERATE HIKER WHO WAS TRAPPED IN THE CRACKS OF THE LION ROCK WERE INACCESSIBLE EVEN TO A HELICOPTER,
11
HE SAID.
RESCUERS TOOK HOURS TO PULL THE INJURED HIKER TO
SAFETY AND
SPED HIM TO HOSPITAL.
HE WAS CERTIFIED DEAD ON ARRIVAL.
"IT'S INDEED A SAD EPISODE. BUT IT
NOT WOULD
DAMPEN
OUR
11
SPIRIT, HE CONFIDED.
TO KEEP UP WITH THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARD EQUIPMENT, THE ROYAL HONG KONG AIR FORCE SEND AN INSPECTOR RESCUE TO APPRAISE ITS PERFORMANCE EVERY TWO YEARS.
OF THE UNIT AND ITS OF LAND
LAST YEAR, THERE WAS A FURTHER BOOST IN THE TRAINING EQUIPMENT.
IN HONG
A
THE HIGHEST ARTIFICIAL CLIMBING WALL NEW CLIMBING WALL KONG - WAS COMMISSIONED AT THE CAS KOWLOON TRAINING CENTRE.
WAY UP FROM POWERED BY
MR LAM WORKED ALL HIS DEVOTION, REVENUE OFFICER TO BECOME THE MAN IN CHARGE OF THREE MAIN DIVISIONS ADMINISTRATION, OPERATIONS AND TRAINING IN THE CAS HEADQUARTERS.
A
SOURCE BELONGING
LOOKING BACK, HE SAID: "IT'S MUCH MORE THAN A JOB OR A OF INCOME. IT'S IN FACT THE JOB SATISFACTION, THE SENSE OF AND THE DRIVE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY THAT MAKE ME STAY ON,
/"THE CAS