HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – It was an emotional reunion Monday between a near-drowning victim and the Florida lifeguard who lost his job after saving the man's life.
Tomas Lopez, 21, was fired last Monday for not following the policy of the private Orlando company that employs lifeguards on Hallandale Beach and saving a swimmer in distress outside his designated area.
Maksim Samartsev, a tourist from Estonia, called Lopez his hero. City leaders also said thanks to the Good Samaritan on Monday morning.
"I want to say thanks to Tomas," said Samartsev while attending the ceremony to honor lifeguard Tomas Lopez.
"'It's great to see you.' That's the first thing I said to him," Lopez told Local 6 sister station WPLG-TV.
Hallandale Beach gave Lopez the key to the city, a high honor for the lifeguard who just lost his job.
"Everyone should be rewarded with this because we were just doing what we were supposed to do. Every lifeguard should have this," Lopez said.
"It's very big, he sacrificed himself to save me," said Samartsev.
Three other lifeguards were also fired and several others quit in protest. The company did offer Lopez his job back, but he turned it down.
"I really enjoyed being a lifeguard, I really loved it," he said. "But I have to focus on the bigger picture for myself in the future.