PORTLAND, Maine — A lobsterman saved the life of a person who drove a reportedly stolen vehicle into the ocean Thursday at Portland's East End beach, according to police.
Portland police and firefighters responded to the Cutter Street boat launch just after noon for a report of a car in the water with someone inside. Emergency rescue crews got on a boat to get to the sinking orange Ford Mustang. Witnesses told NEWS CENTER Maine the car slowly rolled into the ocean off the boat launch.
As crews on a fire department boat approached the sinking car about 75 yards offshore, two fishermen on a nearby lobster boat pulled up to assist. Crews had to break the window on the car but could not get the person out.
"As the car went below surface, our concern for that person was incredibly elevated," Portland police Lt. Robert Doherty said.
One of the lobstermen, Manny Kourinos, put on diving gear he had onboard and jumped into the 50-degree water.
"I went down and grabbed the guy and pulled him through the water," Kourinos said. "He was unresponsive when I pulled him through the window."
Kourinos handed the person off to the crews on the fire department boat, where they immediately started performing CPR while motoring back to shore. They transferred the person to a backboard and into a waiting ambulance.
Investigators said that person survived, with credit to Kourinos.
"Absolutely amazing. Amazing. Absolutely risked his life without hesitation," Doherty said. "We were watching from shore. The police and firefighters were watching as he jumped in and absolutely as he put himself in harm's way to hopefully have saved someone's life. It's an outstanding job. It was it was impressive to watch."
Kourinos said he has been diving for 20 years, including to harvest sea urchins.
"It was automatic -- came to me what to do," Kourinos said." [I've] never been in that circumstance where I had to recover someone from underwater."
Police said the occupant was unresponsive without a pulse but was later revived and transported to Maine Medical Center where the 33-year-old is in stable condition.
Bystanders and first responders call Kourinos a hero.
"If that lobster boat didn't show up that kid wasn't coming up. Not today," David Young, who was walking along the prom when it happened, said.
"I don't know. I don't, I guess I'll accept the label," Kourinos said. "I'm not one to wear a cape. So just doing what came natural."
Portland police said the vehicle had been reported stolen out of South Portland earlier Thursday. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
