Hong Kong couple avoids conviction after typhoon storm chasing with kids

A Hong Kong couple, surnamed Yen (40) and Li (38), have been spared a criminal conviction after taking their two children—aged 5 and 9—storm chasing during Super Typhoon Ragasa on September 23, 2025. The family went to a breakwater at Chai Wan’s Ka Yip Street to watch the waves despite the Hong Kong Observatory raising the No 10 typhoon warning signal at 2:20pm with warnings to stay away from coastal areas. At about 3:10pm, as they were preparing to leave, a 3-metre (10-foot) wave swept the mother and her five-year-old son into the sea. The father jumped in to rescue them. They were eventually rescued by a nearby boatman and received intensive care at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital.

The couple were arrested early this year and charged with ill-treatment or neglect of a child or young person. On Tuesday, prosecutors agreed to settle the case with a bind-over order at Eastern Court. The order binds them for three years in the sum of HK$2,000 (US$255) on a joint charge. If they fail to maintain good behaviour and keep the peace during that period, they will be fined HK$2,000 and could face heavier punishment for further child abuse offences. The court noted the serious nature of the case but considered the parents' remorse and the children's recovery as mitigating factors. The incident sparked public debate about parental judgment and the dangers of typhoon chasing.