1. Headline
  1. Headline

Video: Hip-hop star recovering after Jet Ski crash

  1. Closed captioning of: Hip-hop star recovering after Jet Ski crash

    >> there are new details this morning on the tragic jet ski accident involving pop star sean kingston . lilia, good morning.

    >> reporter: good morning to you, meredith. like so many of us this holiday weekend sean kingston was just enjoying himself on the water right behind us when a good day, a fun day on his jet ski went horribly wrong. beautiful girls

    >> reporter: with a string of hits and a recent collaboration with justin bieber, hip-hop star sean kingston was riding high . no woman no cry

    >> reporter: while at a pool party in miami beach this weekend he tweeted, miami is ours! but around 6:00 p.m . sunday kingston took to the waves on his jet ski with a female companion. that's when tragedy struck. the 21-year-old crashed into a bridge severely injuring himself and his passenger.

    >> both mr. kingston and the passenger ended up in the water.

    >> reporter: rushing to kingston 's rescue off duty coast guard officer jonathan rivera who was on a boat nearby.

    >> looked like he was under water for a minute or two when we got there.

    >> reporter: rivera jumped in the water to keep the star from driving.

    >> came up behind kingston , put my arms under his, grabbed the jet ski and held his head above water.

    >> reporter: rivera held on for 15 minutes .

    >> i was telling him, don't worry, you'll be all right.

    >> reporter: kingston and his companion were rushed to miami's jackson memorial ryder trauma center .

    >> another minute or two, i don't think he would have made it.

    >> reporter: monday, kingston 's publicist released a statement. sean kingston is now stabilized and has moved from the trauma unit to icu. sean's family thanks everyone for their prayers and support during this time. since the crash, fans and stars have tweeted their support. justin bieber calling kingston his big bro while rihanna added, "we praying for you baby." all this at a time when more people are on the water.

    >> we see a spike in numbers during the summer as far as boating accidents and fatalities.

    >> reporter: according to the u.s. coast guard 700 americans die every year in boating accidents. fatalities can be avoided by riding responsibly. investigators are trying to determine what went wrong.

    >> it is the responsibility of the operator of the vessel to maintain a proper lookout, to stay within the speed limit or operate the vessel in safe conditions.

    >> reporter: authorities confirm that alcohol did not play a role in the accident. both kingston and his passenger were wearing life vests . however, questions remain as to the speed at which they were traveling. meredith?

    >> thank you very much.

Image: Sean Kingston
Frederick M. Brown  /  Getty Images file
Hip-hop singer Sean Kingston remained hospitalized after crashing his watercraft into a Miami Beach bridge.
updated 5/31/2011 9:53:53 AM ET 2011-05-31T13:53:53

Hip-hop singer Sean Kingston remained hospitalized Tuesday after crashing his watercraft into a Miami Beach bridge.

Publicist Joseph Carozza said there were no updates Tuesday morning on his condition. He added that Kingston's family is grateful for everyone's prayers and support.

Kingston and a female passenger were injured when the watercraft hit the Palm Island Bridge around 6 p.m. Sunday, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Jorge Pino said.

    1. Like us on Facebook

      Follow our Facebook page, and get updates throughout the day about celebs, movies, TV and more.

    2. On Twitter? Follow us there!

The Miami Herald reports that a passing boater saw the accident and took the two on board his vessel.

Authorities are investigating the crash, and "nothing at this point would indicate that alcohol played a role," Pino said.

A number of hip-hop musicians were in Miami Beach over the weekend for Urban Beach Week.

Kingston rose to fame with his 2007 hit "Beautiful Girls" and was also featured on songs by artists including Justin Bieber. His self-titled debut album sold over 1 million copies worldwide.

On Twitter, Bieber posted a message of support for Kingston.

"Got my friend Sean Kingston in my prayers tonight," Bieber tweeted early Monday. "A true friend and big bro. Please keep him in your prayers tonight as well."

A number of hip-hop musicians were in Miami Beach over the weekend for Urban Beach Week.

In a 2007 interview with The Associated Press, Kingston described his music as a fusion of reggae, pop, rap and R&B.

"It's Sean Kingston genre. I have my own genre," Kingston told the AP at the time. "No disrespect to no artist or dudes out there. I feel like I am my own person. I am doing my own thing."

His music has been unique among hip-hop offerings, as Kingston refused to use profanity.

"To put it in my music, that's not the message I am trying to send out," he said in the 2007 interview. "That's not the type of artist I am trying to be."

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

More on TODAY.com

None
  1. Guinea pig fans go extreme: $22,000 outfit, 'pignics'

    6/19/2013 9:56:44 PM +00:00 2013-06-19T21:56:44
None
  1. Google: 'We're not in cahoots with the NSA'

    Google’s chief legal officer tries to reassure customers that their gmail and Internet browsing history are safe from government prying.

    6/19/2013 6:49:04 PM +00:00 2013-06-19T18:49:04
None
  1. Jason Kempin / Getty Images

    Miley Cyrus talks alcohol vs. marijuana dangers

    6/19/2013 4:57:33 PM +00:00 2013-06-19T16:57:33
None
  1. Say it ain't so! Cap'N Crunch not really a captain?

    Everyone knows Cap’N Crunch for its deliciously sweet corn taste and lovable nautical mascot, but an eagle-eyed cereal lover has just uncovered a potentially shocking secret.

    6/19/2013 9:00:39 PM +00:00 2013-06-19T21:00:39
  2. capncrunch.com
None
  1. AP, Getty file

    Gone without a trace: 6 missing people

    6/19/2013 6:20:35 PM +00:00 2013-06-19T18:20:35