A Miami-Dade deputy who rushed toward a deadly explosion and a school coach who cleared a bottle cap from a choking student’s airway were honored Thursday for split-second rescues that saved lives. Their stories began in two very different places: a county facility in Southwest Miami-Dade and a physical education class.
During the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office’s monthly award ceremony in Doral, Lt. Luis Correa Jr. was named Distinguished Deputy of the Month and received the agency’s Silver Medal of Valor and Lifesaving Award, according to WSVN. Correa was recognized for helping an injured worker after an explosion erupted near a manhole while he was fueling his cruiser.
The blast happened June 15 at a county facility near Southwest 87th Avenue and Southwest 61st Street, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office reported. One adult male died, while four others were injured, including Correa, who was hospitalized in stable condition; the agency said another victim was in critical but stable condition.
As smoke and confusion spread across the scene, Correa pulled the injured worker away from the danger zone so paramedics could begin treatment. The award recognized more than a title or uniform—it recognized the decision to move toward an unfolding emergency while others were trying to escape it.
School Coach Earned First-Ever MDSO Citizen Of The Month Honor
William Varas, a physical education teacher and coach at Lighthouse Ministry School, received the first-ever MDSO Citizen of the Month award, according to WSVN. In early May, a student accidentally lodged a bottle cap in their throat while trying to drink water, blocking the airway and making it impossible to breathe.
The student ran to Varas for help, and he immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver until the cap came free. While accepting the award, Varas stayed modest, saying, “I just did what I think any of you would do for any little one.”
Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said the ceremony was meant to show that lifesaving action is not limited to law enforcement or emergency professionals. In Miami-Dade, the latest honorees offered a vivid reminder that when a crisis arrives, the person who makes the difference may be a lieutenant at a fuel pump—or a coach standing beside a water bottle.
