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S. Fla. Coast Guardsman Honored For Sean Kingston Rescue

MIAMI (CBSMiami) — The man who rescued singer Sean Kingston from the water after a personal watercraft accident was honored Tuesday for his heroic actions.

John Rivera is a South Florida Coast Guard petty officer who received the Coast Guard's Silver Lifesaving Medal.

Rivera was off duty on his personal boat with his wife Carmen last May 29 when they saw Kingston's watercraft crash into the Palm Island Bridge near Miami and saw Kingston go underwater. Rivera jumped in and kept Kingston afloat until additional help arrived.

The Silver Lifesaving Medal is awarded by the Commandant of the Coast Guard to any person who rescues, or tries to rescue, another person from drowning, shipwreck, or other peril of water.

Kingston was hospitalized for about a month after the crash. He's best known for his 2007 hit "Beautiful Girls."

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