Three foreigners won thumb-ups from their Chinese community in Shanghai after they saved a drowning Chinese girl.

Due to the three men's quick response and idea to save the girl by forming a human chain with their hands, tragedy was averted.

Roman and Krill, Russian freshmen and Bastien, a teacher from France from the International Design College at Shanghai Jianqiao University were enjoying a night river view near the campus when they saw someone "swimming" on Saturday.

According to the helpers, the "swimmer" seemed to be drowning and struggling. They rushed to help though they didn't hear any cries, and found a girl choking in the water.

Roman jumped into the water holding the girl with Krill holding Roman's hand. Bastien clung to the bank with one hand, while holding Krill with his other hand

"The girl almost dragged us into the water in the first attempt as she tried so hard to get out from the water," Bastien, a brand new foreign teacher at Jianqiao University, described the decisive moment.

A surveillance video showed that the rescue took less than five minutes.

The crying girl, 17, once a student at a neighboring secondary vocational school, was soon sent to the international students apartment of Shanghai Jianqiao University after the trio made sure she was safe and sound.

Roman, one of the Russian students, later found he was slightly injured in the back during the rescue. His cell phone also broke down after being soaked in the water.

The three men's good deeds were quickly discovered by staff members in the student's apartment. They also received awards from the girl's parents on Monday. However, the three heroes initially declined any media coverage, saying it was just their natural response.

When dealing with such incidents, students should first notify the security department, and check if any emergency rescue facilities like life jackets are available, security staff at Shanghai Jianqiao University warned. Meanwhile, students need to evaluate safety risks before being involved in the rescue efforts, the staff added.

The trio have been dubbed as foreign "Lei Feng", a heroic figure in the 1960s and also an icon of the altruistic spirit nationwide.