Hong Kong Firefighter Who Saved Two in Tsunami Disaster Receives Honors
Wong Hon, who was vacationing on the resort island of Phuket with his wife, swam toward the open sea to rescue two people after strong waves crashed onto a local beach.
''Mr. Wong voluntarily put his life in extreme danger, displaying exemplary bravery,'' his citation from the Hong Kong government read.
Wong was quoted by local media as saying on Monday that he regrets not having been able to save more people.
''I couldn't go out and save people again. I felt helpless. All I could do was watch these people get washed away,'' he was quoted in Ming Pao Daily News.
''Human beings are small in the larger scheme of things. That's why it's important to live happily,'' Wong reportedly said.
The Indian Ocean disaster killed more than 176,000 people in 11 countries, and left about 50,000 missing and hundreds of thousands homeless.