Coast Guard officer honored for heroic rescue

OPA-LOCKA, Fla. (WSVN) -- The U.S. Coast Guard honored one of their own for his heroic act.

Tuesday, Petty Officer Third Class John Rivera received the silver lifesaving medal award. Petty came to the rescue of singer Sean Kingston during a wreck on the water.

The officer was off duty and boating in the intracoastal waterway in Miami Beach when he saw Kingston go under water after crashing his personal watercraft into a bridge, last summer. Rivera jumped in and kept Kingston from drowning until additional help arrived. "It was just somebody needed help. It wasn't like we did it because somebody famous or anything, it was just somebody needed help," explained Rivera. "It was just to basically get his head above water because he had ingested a lot of water. I had my wife call 911, and I held his head until cops got there."

The Coast Guard said if it had not been for Rivera, Kingston could have very well lost his life. "I will tell you that many people watch but very few people take action, and that is the difference between a hero and every man," said U.S. Coast Guard Captain Rick Kenin.

Rivera met the singer after he recovered. Kingston has extended his sincere thanks to Rivera for saving his life.

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