Police are appealing for information in the case of two University of Hong Kong students rescued from the waters off Sai Wan on Monday, according to reports.
The young couple, who remain unconscious in Queen Mary Hospital’s intensive care unit, were saved by Marine Police with help from two male bystanders after falling into the sea near Fung Mat Road about 10:20pm.
The incident, the reasons for which have not been clearly established, was witnessed by a shopkeeper in the area, who phone police for help, reported HK01.
Two men in the area — a local man in his 70s and a foreigner — reportedly jumped in the water and used life buoys to help prevent the students, a 24-year-old man and 18-year-old woman, from being swept away and drowning.
The pair had taken their shoes off and removed their backpacks prior to entering the water, but police are still trying to determine whether the incident was a suicide attempt or an accident. No suicide note was found.
With no CCTV cameras in the area, investigators are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information to get in contact, reported Apple Daily.
Yesterday, about 20 officers visited the scene with photos of the couple to question people in the area in a search for leads.
The couple is currently in a coma caused by having been deprived of oxygen during for an extended period of time, said Peter Pang Kai-mau, a emergency department doctor at Queen Mary Hospital, reported Headline Daily.
An uncle of the male student told Apple Daily the couple had been together for several months and did not appear to have had any recent disputes.
He said his nephew had, in fact, planned to travel to Taiwan with his family for Christmas, adding he was “stunned” by the incident.
A spokesman for the HKU said the university would try to provide help for the couple and their families, HK01 reported.
