Fortunately, the 22-year-old exchange student, Zhao, was saved after a bar staff member, who was alerted by a man fishing nearby, threw her a life buoy.

The drama unfolded at 2am yesterday at Hung Hom Ferry Pier when Zhao was on a call with her boyfriend, Hu, also 22, and they started quarreling.

Zhao, under emotional distress, vaulted over the pier railing but then held on to it with both hands, with her feet dangling in midair just meters above the water. Hu then immediately rushed to the scene, having witnessed his girlfriend's action on video.

A man, Lam, who was fishing at the pier, rushed to assist Zhao after he saw her hanging onto the railing and crying for help. However, he soon realized he did not have the strength to pull her over the railing by himself.

"I wasn't strong enough to pull her up. I didn't think she would be that heavy," he said.

Zhao told Lam to let go, but Lam persisted, saying: "If I don't hold on, you'll fall!" She eventually lost her grip on the railing and fell into the water.

Lam then shouted for help, alerting a staff member of a nearby bar who then threw Zhao a life buoy and called the police.

Zhao held onto the life buoy attached to the pier until rescuers and marine police officers arrived at the scene about 10 minutes later. She was then lifted out of the water and onto a patrol vessel.

Lam and the bar worker said the strong wind and waves could have easily washed Zhao away or swept her underneath the pier.

Though Lam did not feel special rescuing the young woman, he urged her to value her life. "She's still young, why would she want to die?" he said.

Rescue workers covered Zhao with an emergency blanket and sent her to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei, accompanied by her boyfriend who took off his slippers for Zhao to wear.