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Sean Kingston In ICU After Miami Beach Watercraft Crash

MIAMI BEACH (CBS4) – Popular hip-hip singer and South Florida resident Sean Kingston has been stabilized and moved to the intensive care unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital one day after the personal watercraft he was piloting crashed into the Palm Island Bridge near the MacArthur causeway Sunday night.

His publicist, Joseph Carozza, said Kingston's family is grateful for everyone's prayers and support.

"I'm very saddened," said Lorna McCants, a family friend of Kingston's.  "I am very unhappy about what happened but I don't have the details as of yet."


Jorge Pino, a spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife commission, said Kingston and a female passenger were both hurt when the watercraft hit the bridge. Pino said a good Samaritan saw the accident and helped pull Kingston and the unidentified woman from the water.

That good samaritan is Jon Rivera, who works with U.S. Coast Guard. Sunday was his day off, but he was out on the water, and jumped out of the boat to help.

"I went behind kingston, put my arms around his back, I just held his body out of the water," Rivera told CBS4's Gio Benitez.

Rivera saw Kingston throwing up saltwater and some blood. He does not believe alcohol played a role in the crash. He does, however, think Kingston might have died if he stayed underwater much longer.

"I mean, the way he was looking, his head was underwater already, so I honestly don't think he would have made it," said Rivera.

Pino says authorities are investigating the crash, and "nothing at this point would indicate that alcohol played a role."

A representative for his label Epic Records confirmed early Monday that Kingston was in a crash and "was now stabilized." No further information was provided.

"Tell the fans keep praying, he's cool," said Kingston's manager, who asked not to be identified. "He is not critical, he is fine."

Kingston rose to fame with his 2007 hit "Beautiful Girls" and was also featured on songs by artists including Justin Bieber.

His self-titled debut album sold over 1 million copies worldwide.

On Twitter, Bieber posted a message of support for Kingston.

"Got my friend Sean Kingston in my prayers tonight," Bieber tweeted early Monday. "A true friend and big bro. Please keep him in your prayers tonight as well."

A number of hip-hop musicians were in Miami Beach over the weekend for Urban Beach Week.

In a 2007 interview with The Associated Press, Kingston described his music as a fusion of reggae, pop, rap and R&B.

"It's Sean Kingston genre. I have my own genre," Kingston told the AP at the time. "No disrespect to no artist or dudes out there. I feel like I am my own person. I am doing my own thing."

His music has been unique among hip-hop offerings, as Kingston refused to use profanity.

"To put it in my music, that's not the message I am trying to send out," he said in the 2007 interview. "That's not the type of artist I am trying to be."

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