When Tomas Lopez realized that the man was drowning, he jumped into the water and saved him.
His boss wasn't happy when he learned what he had done. He fired him the same day along with his coworkers and told them to never come to this beach again. But what exactly angered him?
Thomas Lopez
21-year-old Tomas worked as a lifeguard at Hallandale Beach for several years. He was good at his job, and his coworkers all looked up to him.
But then, one day, the unthinkable happened...
Keeping Busy
Serious accidents rarely happened at Hallandale Beach, but Tomas had plenty of other responsibilities to take care of.
Every day, he cleaned the beach area, wrote reports on the beach condition, and removed garbage from the sea. However, Tomas was always on the lookout for any kind of emergency.
The Day Of
It started like any other day. Tomas arrived at the beach, greeted his coworkers, and sat on the elevated chair.
The beach was packed with people, so he knew he had to be more cautious than usual.
A Good Day
It was a sunny day, and there was no rain or storm in the forecast either. "It's gonna be a good day," he thought to himself.
Little did he know that the disaster was waiting just around the corner.
Under Control
Tomas looked at the people around him. Some were playing beach volleyball, while others were swimming in the water. The children were occupied with building sandcastles.
Everything was under control at first.
The Beginning
After having a quick chat with his coworkers, Tomas filled out his daily report and cleaned the beach area.
As he glanced at the water, he noticed something out of the ordinary.
In Danger
He took a closer look at the water and saw an older man who was isolated from the rest of the beachgoers.
He was in the ocean all alone, about 1,500 feet away from the coast. The man looked like he was drowning.
He Saved Him
Tomas jumped into the water and swam in his direction. Fortunately, he managed to reach the location within a few minutes and save the man.
He put him on his shoulders, and together they made their way back to the shore.
He Survived
As soon as they arrived at the shore, Tomas called an ambulance for him. The man was in critical condition and was hospitalized.
The doctors later reported that he was in stable condition. "Thank God!" Tomas thought to himself. But his boss wasn't happy about what he had done.
He Was Happy
Tomas was happy that he was able to help the man. Had he not noticed him in the water that morning, he might've been dead by now.
But his boss was about to drop some horrible news...
He Got Fired
While Tomas was happy that he saved the man's life, he didn't want to be praised for it. He was just doing his job.
However, when his supervisor heard about the incident, he fired him on the spot.
A Different Opinion
Tomas's employer told him that the man he saved was swimming in the area where the people were told to swim at their own risk.
He believed that Tomas didn't have to save him because he wasn't swimming in the protected swimming zone.
Shocked
Tomas was informed that he had broken the policy of his workplace for saving the man. As a result, he was fired on the spot.
Tomas was at a loss for words. But what happened next was even more strange.
Some Hope
Tomas was devastated, but he knew he had done the right thing, and his coworkers backed him up.
A few days later, the city of Hallandale released an official statement on the matter. "We do not have all the facts in this case. We take the safety of all visitors to our beaches very seriously. Whether they are in a protected area or unprotected area, we believe aid must be rendered." The incident still remains under review.