Authorities are cracking down on storm-chasing after Typhoon Ragasa left a family hospitalized and others arrested for endangering children during extreme weather.
By Swara Sanket Kamble
Police have stepped up law enforcement to curb storm-watching after three members of a family of four were swept by waves into the rough sea and were hospitalized in intensive care on September 23rd when Super Typhoon Ragasa hit Hong Kong.
The mother, 38, and her five-year-old son were storm-watching when they were swept into the sea by powerful waves. The father, 40, failed in his rescue attempt and also drowned.
A passing boatman rescued them.
The family, including their nine-year-old daughter, went to Ka Yip Street in Chai Wan to watch the waves of the tropical cyclone Ragasa, while the No. 8 Signal was hoisted.
The Hong Kong Police Force received a report from a passerby at around 3:25 p.m. The Fire Services Department dispatched three fire trucks, three fire boats, and three ambulances to the scene.
Firefighters performed CPR on the son after bringing him to the shore first. The parents were then moved onto a rescue boat to receive first aid.
The three were then taken to Eastern Hospital to receive medical aid while the mother and son were unconscious.
As of September 25th, the mother and son were in a stable condition, while the father was treated and discharged.
A total of four were arrested for child neglect, and another was arrested for trespassing on a closed-off beach when Typhoon Ragasa hit Hong Kong.
Police also arrested two South Asian women for allegedly endangering an eight-year-old boy by bringing him storm chasing during the super typhoon while the highest signal, No. 10, was in effect, on the evening of September 25th
The two women took selfies with the boy at the Ap Lei Chau waterfront when a large wave swept all three of them off their feet. No serious injuries were sustained.
In another incident, police arrested a 46-year-old man and a 33-year-old foreign domestic helper on suspicion of child neglect, after the pair brought two children – aged four and six – to watch the waves during Super Typhoon Ragasa on September 24th.
Speaking on a RTHK programme on September 25, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung stated that the police would investigate whether taking children to watch waves during a typhoon constituted neglect.
Tang also described the incident in which the mother and son fell into the sea as “unfortunate”.
“There are no laws criminalising chasing the wind and waves yet, but if you go to a place – for example, a beach that the government has declared as closed, there will be penalties for entering,” he said.
Responding to questions by lawmakers during a Legislative Council meeting on October 8, Tang stated that under the Offences against the Person Ordinance, law enforcement could prosecute persons who brought children to wave-watching spots, as it invoked the offence of “neglect by those in charge of a child or young person”.
“This offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, which has a high deterrent effect,” he said.
He described the act of storm-chasing during typhoons as “selfish and reckless”.
“Such highly irresponsible behaviours not only endanger the safety of themselves and their children, but also place rescue personnel in extremely dangerous situations when accidents occur,” Tang said.
Regarding manpower deployed to rescue wave-watches during typhoons. The secretary for security stated that the government deployed 1,311 personnel for 81 incidents between January 1, 2023, and August 31, 2025, involving drowning accidents and mountain rescues during extreme weather conditions.
Tang explained that it is not simple to introduce legislation regarding storm-chasing, as there are various considerations. The government will have to review existing legislation related to this issue.
However, the security chief said the government will not fine anyone for rescue operation costs.
This is to prevent the unnecessary loss of life from people choosing not to call for help to avoid being fined, Tang said. “It is the officers’ duty to save lives,” he added.
He urged members of the public to exercise self-discipline, consider the well-being of their families and rescue personnel, and avoid putting themselves in dangerous situations.
According to the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, 59 males and 42 females have been injured during Typhoon Ragasa and received medical treatment at the Accident and Emergency department of public hospitals.
(Photo Courtesy: SSEC/CIMSS/University of Wisconsin–Madison)
Hong Kong narrowly avoided the worst of the super-storm, as Ragasa skirted around the city at a distance of over 100 km away.
Ragasa marked the second time in Hong Kong history that two No. 10 Typhoon signals were issued in the same year – the first was in 1964, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.
It also broke records as the most distant typhoon to trigger the No.10 Signal. It was approximately 130 km away from the city when the highest signal was issued.
As of November 13, 2025, a total of 13 typhoons have hit Hong Kong so far, with three alone in September, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.
The Observatory issued the No. 1 signal on Monday, November 11, because of Severe Tropical Storm Fung-wong. The No. 1 alert was lowered the same week on Tuesday evening as the storm departed.
Scientific Officer at the Hong Kong Observatory, Raphael Lui Yuk-sing, says the proportion of intense tropical cyclones in the Western North Pacific region is expected to increase.
“Due to climate change, the sea levels will rise, and we can expect a higher threat of coastal storm surges. We must stay alert and be fully prepared to face the threat of tropical cyclones or extreme weather in the future,” Lui says.
Regarding the recent storm-chasing incidents, the officer says even though a lower signal is hoisted during a typhoon, the public should be on alert and pay attention to the information provided by the Hong Kong Observatory.
“They should always stay away from the shoreline and avoid engaging in water-sport activities,” Lui stresses.
Edited by Erica Hwang
