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Lifeguard fired for rescue meets man he saved

Tomas Lopez was given keys to the city of Hallandale Beach during ceremony

CNN

HALLANDALE, Fla. — Fired Florida lifeguard Tomas Lopez was honored with the key to the city Monday and got a chance to meet the man whose life he saved.

Lopez made national news last week when he was fired for leaving his post so he could save a swimmer outside his coverage zone at Hallandale Beach.

“It is a big honor. I don’t believe I deserve the key in general. All our guards would have done this,” Lopez told the crowd assembled at Hallandale Beach City Hall on Monday, according to CNN affiliate WFOR. “All I did was what I was supposed to do.” The incident occurred July 2 at the beach on Florida’s Atlantic coast, north of Miami.

Full story: Fired Florida lifeguard gets key to city, meets man whose life he saved