In brief
On Thursday the University of Wollongong held a memorial the third anniversary of Jiang Antong’s death while saving a fellow student from a rip current. The ceremony was attended by Jiang’s family, classmates and officials from China and Australia, and highlighted his post‑humous Commendation for Brave Conduct. Jiang’s legacy is being preserved through a scholarship and memorial events at the university.
A memorial ceremony was held on Thursday at the University of Wollongong to honour Chinese student Jiang Antong, who lost his life in 2023 while attempting to rescue a fellow student, Justin Peng, from a rip current off the coast of Wollongong.
Jiang, who arrived in Australia in July 2023 to pursue a master’s degree, slipped into the surf while Peng was in danger on Oct. 29 of that year and was swept away, according to Xinhua coverage. Peng says the event gave him a “second chance at life.”
“I feel like I've been given a second chance at life,” he told Xinhua on Thursday.
Peng’s statement was borne out by the university’s deputy vice‑chancellor for education, Helen Partridge, who said he had spoken about his courage on the day of the rescue.
Jiang’s parents, former classmates, and officials from both China and Australia gathered beneath a tree planted in his memory and laid flowers before a memorial stone. Wang Chunsheng, acting consul general of the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney, described the ceremony as a testament to the enduring bond between the two nations.
In September, Australia’s Governor‑General announced the 2026 Bravery Awards, awarding Jiang post‑humously the Commendation for Brave Conduct. The university has since established a scholarship in his name and organizes memorial football matches to keep his story alive.
Jiang was known for his kindness; his father, Jiang Yu, recalled how Jiang had once called an ambulance for a classmate and stayed with him through the night, and how they only discovered he had donated blood months later after his death.
