Hong Kong News
Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Saturday, Feb 22, 2025
Real, Diverse, Unbiased.
Coroner hears death of student who died after run
A 19-year-old student told his secondary school he suffered heart pain and could not run, but his physical education teacher was not informed of his condition, witnesses testified at the coroner's court.
Xiao Ye-tao died on March 18, 2019 after he collapsed while running during PE class. A jury of three men and two women started a six-day hearing at the coroner's court today.
The student was a form four student at Lui Ming Choi Lutheran College in Tsuen Wan when he died.
His mother testified that Xiao was born in Fujian province and came to Hong Kong in 2017. He collapsed in June 2018 and was hospitalized for three days. Following his hospitalization, he made a health declaration to his school, saying he suffered from shortness of breath and heart pain. He put down “no vigorous exercise, running” on his health form.
Yan Chai Hospital doctor Kwok Lap-ming testified that he did a follow up with Xiao in January 2019 and suspected that the student suffered from myocarditis, or inflammation of heart muscle. Kwok said he gave Xiao medication, but did not restrict him from doing exercise.
Xiao's PE teacher, Chow Wai-yip, said he was not aware of the health form which said the student should not run.
He asked students to do a 1,500-meter run on March 18, 2018 and asked Xiao if he felt okay, to which the student replied in the affirmative.
However, Xiao became pale, became short of breath and collapsed. The teacher performed first aid on him before he was sent to hospital.
Xiao's classmate Lui Sze-hei testified that Xiao ran quite fast, and that after he collapsed, Xiao gathered his hands onto his chest and struggled to breathe.
The student was a form four student at Lui Ming Choi Lutheran College in Tsuen Wan when he died.
His mother testified that Xiao was born in Fujian province and came to Hong Kong in 2017. He collapsed in June 2018 and was hospitalized for three days. Following his hospitalization, he made a health declaration to his school, saying he suffered from shortness of breath and heart pain. He put down “no vigorous exercise, running” on his health form.
Yan Chai Hospital doctor Kwok Lap-ming testified that he did a follow up with Xiao in January 2019 and suspected that the student suffered from myocarditis, or inflammation of heart muscle. Kwok said he gave Xiao medication, but did not restrict him from doing exercise.
Xiao's PE teacher, Chow Wai-yip, said he was not aware of the health form which said the student should not run.
He asked students to do a 1,500-meter run on March 18, 2018 and asked Xiao if he felt okay, to which the student replied in the affirmative.
However, Xiao became pale, became short of breath and collapsed. The teacher performed first aid on him before he was sent to hospital.
Xiao's classmate Lui Sze-hei testified that Xiao ran quite fast, and that after he collapsed, Xiao gathered his hands onto his chest and struggled to breathe.
