Police Constables Law Chun-choi and Kong Man-yuk were presented with appreciation banners by Cheung Chau Rural Committee and bungalow operators at two ceremonies held on May 2 and 13 respectively.

At about 1 am on April 6, a bungalow operator, after refusing to rent out a room to a young lady, informed Mr Law and Mr Kong of her suicidal tendencies.

The two Good Samaritans immediately set off in search of the young woman and eventually located her at Cheung Chau Ferry Pier after two hours' search.

Mr Law recalled: "The woman, in her early twenties, looked very depressed. Admitting her intention to commit suicide in Cheung Chau, she was very reluctant to follow us to the Police station.

"To eliminate her hostility, we invited her to the nearby Neighbourhood Police Office for a casual chat instead of going to the Police station."

Mr Kong told OffBeat that patience, sincerity, friendliness and understanding were vital for gaining a suicidal person's trust.

"When the young woman felt she could trust us, she began to open up," Mr Kong continued.

Both officers offered some advice to the woman who encountered social, family and career problems. After five hours' persuasion, the woman seemed to be convinced by the duo.

To ensure her safety, Mr Law and Mr Kong offered to accompany her to leave Cheung Chau.

A few days later, Mr Law got in touch with the woman and was happy to hear that she felt much happier than before and was able to solve some of her problems.

Comparing the incident with other Police operations, the two officers agreed that persuading people to give up their suicide attempts was not an easy task and sometimes it could be time-consuming and exhausting.

Mr Kong explained: "We have to try our best to make the suicidal person feel relaxed, but on the other hand we have to be on the alert for any sudden changes. Therefore, absolute concentration and close co-operation with your partner are very essential."

Both officers were thrilled that their act eventually stopped a tragedy. "One of our duties is to save people's life and we are glad that we succeeded in this incident," Mr Law said.