PORTLAND, Maine — EDITOR'S NOTE: The above video aired April 12, 2020.
The father of a man who drowned in Portland’s Back Cove during a mental health crisis is suing first responders, saying they didn’t do enough to stop the tragedy.
The lawsuit says 25-year-old Eric Cohen was experiencing a mental health crisis when he ran naked into the cold water on April 12, 2020.
The lawsuit contends first responders should’ve acted to help Cohen when he was in waist-deep water 30 feet from shore.
Instead, they waited for the arrival of a fireboat. By that time, Cohen was face down in the water. City officials declined to comment.
The lawsuit names the city, two police sergeants and an unidentified Portland firefighter.