Hao Dongyang (not his real name), a 20-year-old homeless man, found his long-lost family after being caught by border police while trying to sneak into Macao by swimming.

Hao, who had no identification card, was caught on March 27 in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, by border police as he walked into the sea in an attempt to swim to Macao.

After learning Hao had been separated from his family for decades, the border police contacted a local police station to look for his family.

Hao said his hometown was Handan, Hebei province, and he left home with his mother while still a baby. He grew up in Yunnan province but was separated from his mother at the age of 10.

With that information, the police took five days to find Hao's father in Handan. After eight days of detention, Hao went home with his father and aunt.