Deputy: Lt. Cotton Saved Lives in 1998 Hostage Crisis | News

Central Georgia law officers are still remembering a man who put his life on the line to keep others safe.

As we told you yesterday, Lieutenant Mark Cotton was just 49 years old when he died Sunday.

RELATED | Obituary for Lt. Mark Cotton

An autopsy said he suffered a "cardiac event" due to an enlarged heart. 

Today, Marvin Giddens told Judy Le that Cotton saved his life during a hostage crisis on July 5th 1998, a date he'll never forget.

"I know that date would've etched on my headstone if Mark Cotton hadn't been there. I just hated when I heard the news about Mark Cotton. I feel like I owe my life to him," Giddens says. "Mark Cotton didn't put his name and the word hero in the same sentence. So now in his passing do I feel safe doing that."

Watch the attached video for more.