Early on October 8, the man made his way to the Tsing Ma Bridge, climbed over the railings and sat precariously on a girder with a can of beer in hand, after having a quarrel with his wife. He was seen making dangerous moves, as if trying to jump off the bridge.

When officers of Team 2 of EU NTS and firemen raced to scene, the man resisted rescue attempts, but following police's persuasion as well as showing of love and care, plus firemen's assistance, he was eventually pulled to safety. By the time firemen reached and secured him with ropes, the man was exhausted, and a further delay could have resulted in a fatal fall of 62 metres into the sea.

The heroes in this successful rescue operation were undoubtedly Police Constable Lee Chi-shing and his colleagues, as well as the brave firemen.

When police arrived at the scene, the man refused to talk to the EU officers in uniform. Being on plain-clothe duties, PC Lee immediately took on the role of a police negotiator, but the man did not respond.

As the man's position was not conducive to a rescue operation, PC Lee kept talking to him, and later learned that the man was on good terms with his daughter.

Eventually PC Lee contacted his daughter on the mobile phone.

To help firemen mount their rescue operation from the best position, PC managed to persuade the man to move to a safer spot before handing the phone to him to talk to his daughter. But owing to fatigue, the man suddenly slipped, with the lower part of his body dangling in the air and his two hands grabbing the girder. Luckily, firemen quickly descended with ropes and pulled him to safety.

PC Lee has this to say about his role in the rescue operation: "I have not received any formal training as a Police Negotiator, but with saving lives being our mission I immediately took on the role of a Police Negotiator in the hope that I could save a life. I am very glad that eventually I made it.

"I very much appreciate the firemen's swift action in pulling the man to safety in a very dangerous situation. Close departmental co-operation was the important factor for this successful rescue operation."

Echoing PC Lee's views on departmental co-operation, Senior Fire Officer Yip Yiu-chung pointed out that the police, in maintaining a dialogue with the man, had gained time for firemen to plan and prepare for their rescue operation. "PC Lee was very professional, very patient and very good at communication!" said Mr Yip.

Officer in charge of EU NTS, Superintendent Lee Chiu-yin, is pleased with Mr Yip's compliments for the EU officers.

While putting his officers' good performances down to their training and attitude towards work, SP Lee also praised the professionalism and agility of the firemen who worked side by side with his officers.

"The Fire Services Department is our closest partner in dealing with emergencies. Last year, NTS EU and the department jointly handled a total of 1,163 emergency cases, which represented 20 per cent of all the cases reported in NTS Region. Among the 1,163 cases, 368 involved rescue of persons in dangers, 314 related to fires or inflammable liquid, and 481 involved violence," said SP Lee.

Lastly, SP hoped to see closer co-operation with the Fire Services Department through more avenues such as inter-departmental working groups and work seminars in order to provide more quality services to the public.

The officers' joint rescue operation speaks for the close Police-Fire Services co-operation