HONG KONG - Three mainland university students were honored for their selfless bravery with the "Good Citizen Award" by the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) in late February for their heroic act during their first visit to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region last year.

The trio's tale of courage unfolded on a quiet January night of 2024, when He Jinmiao, Wen Jianbin and Wang Haolin, all class of 2021 students of Shenzhen University in South China's Guangdong province, demonstrated their bravery by saving a person from the sea in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor.

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At around 1 am on Jan 18, 2024, the trio was ambling along the waterfront of Victoria Harbor in Wan Chai, reminiscing about a day of joyful exploration before heading back to Shenzhen.

The tranquility of the night was shattered by a sudden plop. Rushing to the edge, they spotted a cellphone left on the shore and soon heard faint cries for help.

"Someone fell into the sea!" He, without hesitation, grabbed a lifebouy from the railing, tossing it to the person struggling desperately in the cold sea, while he also alerted the police. Meanwhile, Wen and Wang sought assistance from passers-by while consoling the victim with words of comfort.

A few minutes later, the police and divers from the fire services department arrived, pulling the person to safety and rushing the victim to the hospital.

Facing local media that night, the students brushed off the spotlight. "Saving a person from drowning was the natural thing to do," they said and left the scene, without being identified by the media.

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It was only after media outlets in Hong Kong mentioned Shenzhen University in a social media post about the incident did the three anonymous heroes become known to the public. Their spirit of valor couldn't stay hidden.

Hong Kong residents took to social media to give them thumbs-up, saying their behavior will encourage more to extend a helping hand to those in need.

"The students had stayed to confirm if someone slipped into the sea and participated in the rescue even though it was in the middle of the night. Their sense of responsibility helped save a life," said Wan Tsui-ling, chief inspector of Strategic Engagement Division of the HKPF's Public Relations Wing.

The trio is among the 80 winners of the "Good Citizen Award 2024." The award was introduced in 1973 to encourage members of the public to report crime to the police, to be prepared to come forward and to help others when appropriate.

Other recipients of this year's award were accredited for helping the police combat theft, deception and sexual offenses, among others.

"Anyone can be a good citizen who spreads positive energy," said Wan. The trio is the first university students from the Chinese mainland to win the award in two decades.

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Looking back, the students felt "honored" to have saved a life because the police responded quickly and passers-by also helped. Wang said the safety training their university has offered regularly equipped students like them to handle emergencies effectively.

"The award renewed our sense of responsibility to do good to society," said He and Wen.

The unforgettable experience has also sparked innovation. The engineering students even thought of developing a sea-fall detection sensor to prevent such incidents or speed up rescues.

On the verge of graduation and at a crossroad of their future careers, the three students see Hong Kong as an appealing destination.

"If I get a chance to work or live in Hong Kong in the future, I will give it a shot," said He, who is preparing for graduate school exams.