Maine lobsterman jumps from boat to help rescue a driver from a car submerged in a bay

FILE - A fisherman on a tower scans the waters of Casco Bay, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, off Portland, Maine. Police in Maine say a lobsterman dove from a boat into the ocean 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. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A lobsterman in Maine jumped from a boat into the water to help save a driver trapped in a sinking car, police said.

The car drove into Casco Bay shortly after noon on Thursday, according to police in Portland, Maine.

Police and fire crews were able to force entry into the vehicle while it was underwater. The lobster boat was nearby. 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.

The 33-year-old driver was listed in stable condition after being taken to a hospital, police said.

Police are investigating and said the vehicle was reported stolen out of South Portland earlier in the day.

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