Rescue ready: The Government Flying Service and the Civil Aid Service proved their mettle today, in a staged event that saw them 'save' someone from a mountain side and then winch him aboard a helicopter.

The Hong Kong Garrison of the People's Liberation Army and several Government departments displayed their search-and-rescue capabilities during a short-range demonstration at Tung O Wan on Lamma Island today.

The event was part of an annual search-and-rescue exercise designed to provide continued training and familiarisation with search-and-rescue techniques.

The Government Flying Service and the Civil Aid Service staged a joint mountain rescue demonstration. The "survivor" was then winched aboard a Eurocopter Super Puma helicopter.

There were other demonstrations, courtesy of the Fire Services Department's diving unit and the PLA's Z9 helicopter, which did an aerial search.

Event draws more than 100 global experts

More than 100 search-and-rescue experts observed the demonstrations. They included representatives from the Mainland, Macau, the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Mongolia, India and local observers from the Airport Authority, Marine Police, the Marine Department and a number of airlines.

The aircraft involved in the exercises were on display at the Hong Kong International Airport yesterday. They included two C130 aircraft from the US Coast Guard and the US Air Force, and a Eurocopter Super Puma AS332 L2 helicopter, a Eurocopter EC155 B1 helicopter and a Jetstream J41 aircraft, all from Government Flying Services. The emergency facilities of the Airport Fire Contingent were also on exhibit.

Long-range exercise takes place tomorrow

A long-range search-and-rescue exercise will be held tomorrow to test participants' alert procedures, co-ordination and communications facilities.

The exercise will simulate an aircraft encountering an engine fire and ditching in distress about 80 nautical miles to the southwest of Hong Kong.

A PLA patrol vessel will be sent to the area tomorrow morning to search and locate the targets - represented by rubber tyres - in the South China Sea.