It was both relieving and encouraging to see Sean Kingston hit the stage for a song with Nicki Minaj a few weeks ago — after his jet-ski accident in May, things weren’t looking good for the “Beautiful Girls” singer. “I’m blessed to overcome a tragic situation,” he told Natalie Morales of the Today Show. And he’s not kidding — after almost drowning during the initial crash, Kingston had to undergo emergency open heart surgery for doctors to fix a torn aorta that released fluid into his heart.

Kingston, who reportedly lost 70 lbs since his accident (that’s like three-fourths a Bieber!), was finally able to meet his rescuer — Coast Guard officer Jonathan Rivera, who was off-duty when he saw Kingston fall into the water but sprung into action anyway. “I love you, my brother,” Kingston tells Rivera.

The singer is currently out of the hospital an is continuing his rehabilitation — though that hasn’t stopped him from filming new music videos and taking joyrides in his Rolls Royce with Justin Bieber.