TIANJIN, May 3 -- A 21-year-old Tibetan girl who helped rescue a trafficked woman on a train has won praise from the public for her brave act.

On April 18, Cering Yumco, a sophomore at Tianjin University of Science and Technology, was sleeping on a train when a woman next woke her up. The train was going from Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, to Beijing.

The woman told her in a low voice that she was being trafficked by the man at her side and that her parents were so worried that they were hospitalized.

The woman said she herself did not report her situation to police for fears of putting her children in danger. She asked Yumco to contact her family to ask for help.

Yumco contacted the woman's sister by text message, but the suspected trafficker woke up when the two were whispering. The woman was closely monitored by the man. She was even followed when she went to the toilet.

After observing the man for a few more hours, Yumco knew what had happened to the woman and she told police on the train.

"I was eager to help the woman, but I could not do it alone," said Yumco. Train police and Yumco continued to monitor the man until the train arrived in Beijing the next day.

When the train pulled in at the Beijing West Railway Station, the man was immediately taken away by police and the woman was rescued. Yumco felt relieved. The woman's family sent a letter of thanks to Yumco days later.

"She is brave. We are encouraged by her," said Cai Tingting, a roommate of Yumco, who was praised by her teachers and classmates.

Wang Yanmei, a teacher of Yumco at the university, said she is always optimistic, hardworking and ready to help others.

Yumco's story is hot in cyberspace. Netizens expressed their praise and said she has set a good example for young people.

"I also fear revenge, but if everyone is indifferent for fears of revenge, the society will turn bad," said Yumco.

Yumco, from Tibet Autonomous Region, said she will return to Tibet to contribute to the development of her hometown after graduation.