July 5, 201214 yr Six Florida lifeguards have lost their jobs for backing a coworker's decision to save a man struggling in the surf but outside their jurisdiction.Tomas Lopez , 21, was fired Monday for vacating his lifeguarding zone to save a man drowning in unprotected waters 1,500 feet south of his post on Hallandale Beach, Fla."I knew I broke the rules," said Lopez, who ran past the buoy marking the boundary of his patrol zone to help the man. "I told the manager, I'm fired aren't I?"Lopez said he jumped into the water and "I double underhooked him…I was worried about the guy and his health. He was blue."Six of Lopez's coworkers said they would have done the same thing. And now, they've been fired too. "I can listen to the rule and tell them that I wouldn't help someone who was distressed, but I knew if the incident ever came up I would go," said 19-year-old Brian Ritchie, who was fired today for saying he too would rescue someone outside his patrol zone."What we're basically supposed to do is watch them die," said 16-year-old Zoard Janko, who also backed Lopez's decision. Fired Florida Lifeguard's Coworkers Exit - ABC News
July 5, 201214 yr Pretty stupid. Almost as stupid as the woman who is suing a police officer who shot a man that had a knife to her throat.
July 5, 201214 yr Unbelievable. I have to imagine that once this story gets nationwide publicity that they'll get their jobs back. Or 650K a piece in donations so they can go on vacation.
July 5, 201214 yr I'm sure the rule is there for some insurance liabilities sake, but are you kidding me? "Nothing in this world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity" - Martin Luther King, Jr.
July 5, 201214 yr The employer is going to be drowning when this story goes nationwide. Some things take precedence over the all-mighty "policies". Policies don't apply when a human life is at stake. I'd love to kick the leadership of this company in the solar plexus.
July 5, 201214 yr While it is ridiculous that a company which exists to save lives fires someone for breaking the rules...while saving someone's life. How absurd is it that others were fired just for saying they would do the same things? Wrongful termination, anyone?
July 5, 201214 yr While it is ridiculous that a company which exists to save lives fires someone for breaking the rules...while saving someone's life. How absurd is it that others were fired just for saying they would do the same things? Wrongful termination, anyone? No doubt. These lifeguards need to be unionized.
July 5, 201214 yr While it is ridiculous that a company which exists to save lives fires someone for breaking the rules...while saving someone's life. How absurd is it that others were fired just for saying they would do the same things? Wrongful termination, anyone? No chance at a wrongful termination suit. As silly as it sounds he broke a rule and that would be enough to justify his firing in a court of law.
July 5, 201214 yr Unbelievable. I have to imagine that once this story gets nationwide publicity that they'll get their jobs back. Or 650K a piece in donations so they can go on vacation. Dang it another idea we should have thought of. Get fired for something ridiculous then get donations for a vacation. :lol:
July 5, 201214 yr So did they also fire the lifeguard whose zone it was that didn't go to the person in need?
July 5, 201214 yr Author So did they also fire the lifeguard whose zone it was that didn't go to the person in need? If I'm reading right, it was out of everyone's zone. You can't go past a certain distance in the ocean to save a person.
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