71-year-old Li Ting You is found about eight kilometres from central Sapa after getting lost during a tour on November 14. Photo by Sapa Police Department
After spending the night at a hotel in Lao Cai Ward, a group of 40 tourists from Hekou in Yunnan travelled by car with guide Van and her colleagues to visit Sapa on the morning of November 14. They were scheduled to stay for one hour before continuing to Hanoi.
Upon arrival, the group was introduced to the stone church and nearby sights, then given 30 minutes of free time to take photos.
Among them were Li Ting You, 71, and his wife, visiting Vietnam for the first time.
“After walking around the square, his wife went to the restroom while Li Ting You wandered off on his own. When she returned and could not find him, she panicked and asked for help. We searched the surrounding area but found no trace of him,” Van said.
At around 10.30 am, she reported the incident to Sapa Ward Police. She arranged for the rest of the tour group to continue to Hanoi while the missing tourist’s wife stayed behind.
According to Sapa Ward Police, about 200 officers and local residents were mobilised, searching multiple directions across the ward and nearby areas, covering a radius of up to 15 kilometres.
From the church area, Li Ting You is believed to have walked towards a local resort before climbing over a fence and entering the forest.
“We checked many surveillance cameras, but because he walked in a circular pattern through forest paths, the search was very challenging,” a police representative said.
At more than 5 pm, officers found him in Ham Rong 2 Hamlet, around eight kilometres from the town centre. He was wearing a short–sleeved shirt and carrying a red plastic bag.
“He showed signs of fatigue, hunger and cold. We brought him to the station, turned on heaters and gave him a hot meal. When his wife arrived and saw him safe, she was deeply grateful to the Vietnamese authorities,” the police representative said.
Li Ting You and his wife are reunited at the police station in Sapa. Photo by Sapa Police Department
On the evening of November 14, Li Ting You and his wife were taken back to Lao Cai Ward by their guide and did not continue their planned trip to Hanoi.
