Hero of the Week: Lobsterman pulls person from submerged car

This week's hero is a lobsterman who works off the coast of Maine and saw a car go into the Atlantic Ocean. The quick-thinking hero immediately went after the driver as the car sank in Casco Bay. Here's the story AND the video report... and there's a twist at the end about the driver...

(Photo: Police say a car drove down the boat ramp near East End Beach in Portland and into Casco Bay on Thursday afternoon. (WGME))

  

Lobsterman pulls person from submerged car in Casco Bay, police say

Associated Press and WGME NEWS by Matt Curren and Ariana St Pierre, November 16th 2023

PORTLAND, Maine -  Police in Maine say a lobsterman jumped from a boat into the water to help save a driver trapped in a sinking car. Police in Portland say the car drove into Casco Bay shortly after noon on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. Police and fire crews were able to force entry into the vehicle while it was underwater. 

Manny Kourinos, who was on board, jumped in and helped pull out the driver, police said. The water temperature was about 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius).

“I've been diving for 20 years now and never been in that circumstance where I had to recover someone from underwater,” Kourinos told WCSH-TV.\

VIDEO REPORT: https://youtu.be/n72NauYuWw0?si=HsO_XNQPIc6HQkYW

Police say a nearby lobsterman put on scuba gear and dove in to get the person out of the car. They pulled the person out and brought them to the boat launch.

Police say the victim didn't have a pulse when they brought them to the surface. Paramedics then resuscitated the person, and they were taken to the hospital. The person is 33 years old and in stable condition.

“The citizen that aided the rescue risked their life to rescue this person and certainly gave them a fighting chance of survival,” Portland Police Lieutenant Robert Doherty said.

The car sank about 75 yards offshore. It has since been pulled out. Police say the car was reported stolen in South Portland earlier Thursday.