A Chinese student in Japan was praised by police after he saved a drowning child in a river near Osaka, www.chinanews.com reported.

The 9-year-old child, together with two companions, was taking photographs of floods by the Yodo River on Monday. Police said he accidentally fell into the river when trying to pick up the camera memory card, and was swept away for about 350 meters.

Yan Jun, from Shanghai, who plans to attend a phD program at Osaka City University next spring, swam 15 meters and managed to get the child to safety.

Police said that the boy would probably have drowned had Yan not acted so quickly.

Neither was seriously injured though Yan suffered skin abrasions.

Japanese netizens paid tribute to Yan's heroic behavior, and suggested that local authorities reward Yan in some way.