Customs Officers, Mr Quick Sung-hei, Mr Chu Kam-pui and Mr Cheung Tsz-long from the Customs and Excise Department’s Marine Enforcement Division of the Ports and Maritime Command, who possess the certificates of Coxswains (Hong Kong Waters) (Maritime) or engineer licences, are responsible for maritime anti-smuggling enforcement actions and patrol duties in Hong Kong waters. As professional officers in charge of law enforcement at sea, they are not only proficient in discharging their maritime duties, but also stay vigilant at all times in observing the state of the sea and assist people in need.

At around noon on 9 July 2023, the three Customs Officers who were on leave heard the shouts for help from the seashore while doing aquatic activities near a pleasure vessel along the South Bay of the Hong Kong Island. Upon preliminary assessment of the surrounding environment, they felt duty-bound to offer assistance. In response, they promptly detached the speedboat from the pleasure vessel for searching in the nearby waters. Having searched for about five minutes along the seashore, they found an injured foreigner stranded in the shallow waters along the shingle beach. After the three of them had identified the exact location of the stranded person, Mr Cheung drove the speedboat in repeated attempts to approach the person, but to no avail due to insufficient water depth and rocky outcrops along the seashore. Leveraging their professional nautical knowledge, they assessed the situation at the scene, resolutely decided to return to the pleasure vessel, and with the aid of a kayak instead, Mr Cheung was eventually able to reach the stranded person in carrying out the rescue.

After assessment, the stranded person was found to suffer from fracture of wrist with abrasions over the body and mild heat stroke symptoms. Given the remote location of the site as well as geographical and environmental constraints, the challenges were especially daunting for Mr Cheung trying to get the stranded person out of the waters without other backup. In spite of this, Mr Cheung managed to help the wounded person suffering from heat stroke put on a life jacket and board the kayak, and then escorted the person onto the speedboat where he took care to keep the injured wrist of the person in position for wound care. Meanwhile, Mr Quick lost no time in contacting the Police for arranging medical assistance and provided all necessary details, hence facilitating effective mobilisation of personnel by relevant departments to carry out rescue operation. Subsequently, they escorted the injured person to the South Bay Beach safely for the Police and paramedics to take follow-up actions and provide further medical treatment.

This extraordinary rescue operation fully showcased the three Customs Officers' professionalism and exceptional vigilance, who always take it upon themselves to shoulder responsibilities even if they are on leave. Despite the adverse conditions, they made proper and appropriate assessment of the marine environment and safely rescued the stranded person. The rescue has attracted wide media coverage, and the three officers were awarded the “Heroic Volunteer Award” from the Hong Kong Volunteer Award 2023 in recognition of their gallantry in saving life under extreme circumstances.