Chinese Gambler Escapes Sharks By Swimming In Water

A Chinese gambler who lost HK$120,000 (£10,200) on board a Hong Kong casino ship tried to escape his loan shark backers by jumping overboard into Victoria Harbour and making a break for freedom.
Casino ships are able to bypass Hong Kong’s strict gambling laws by sailing off into international waters before opening their gambling tables. One such route lies between Lei Yue Mun and Kwun Tong, and on Wednesday night, 13th March, a 33 year old Chinese national called Mr Lu, allegedly lost the borrowed money before enacting his desperate escape plan.
According to news sources, Mr Lu then stripped down to his underwear, before putting on a life jacket and leaping from his third-floor cabin window into the sea below. However, any chance his dangerous escape would succeed were dashed after passengers on board noticed the incident and called the police. A little later, he was picked up by a passing boat and Mr Lu was subsequently taken to a Marine Police station before being escorted to the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital.
Hong Kong’s casino ships continue to be a cause for concern amongst officials in the Chinese administrative region, who remain wary about the social problems associated with the gambling industry. On this occasion, although a human tragedy was avoided, other gamblers have been less fortunate. Back in 2010, for instance,  Mr. Xu, 51, jumped off the Genting Hong Kong Star Cruises SuperStar Aquarius after losing 5 million HKD ($642,675 USD) at the ship’s baccarat tables. Tragically, Mr. Xu didn’t survive the fall from the 13th deck, and his body was recovered by a rescue team an hour later.