Off-duty firefighter and fisherman rescue 3 women after car plunges into water in Massachusetts

WBZ

By Beth Germano

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    GLOUCESTER, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Three women were saved by quick-acting firefighters, fishermen and bystanders when their car plunged 15 to 20 feet into Harbor Cove in Gloucester, Massachusetts Sunday morning.

Off-duty firefighter Lt. William “Buddy” Doucette wasted no time jumping into the water just before 11 a.m. when he heard the screech and saw a car flying into the air off the pier landing on the roof and trapping the occupants.

Off-duty firefighter jumped into water:

“There wasn’t any time to be scared because you had to react to get them out of the water. If they didn’t get out of the water they would have died,” said Doucette. “It’s fight or flight, you either run towards the incident or you run away. I’m always the person that runs towards it.”

Lobsterman Captain Mark Lodge was only feet away himself, tied up right next to Doucette who was working on his own boat and grabbed a hammer.

“I took the sledgehammer, reached down underneath the water and tapped the window and it broke instantly, I was able to open the door,” said Doucette.

The women were upside down partially submerged, strapped in by their seatbelts. It was an intense effort to keep the women’s heads above water as rescuers tried to free them, using lobstermen’s knives to cut the belts.

“That saved those people’s lives, I’m convinced of that, that quick action,” said Gloucester Deputy Fire Chief Tom LoGrande. “It doesn’t take long to drown.”

3 women taken to hospital:

It’s unclear the circumstances of why the women broke through a metal sign and around concrete barrier, but by the time they hit the water firefighters said they had already suffered injuries just from the crash. Fortunately, the water was at low tide which helped the rescuers get their footing.

“The first lady we got out of the vehicle, her head was cut and bleeding pretty good. The second lady out, she was pretty pale in color, breathing, thank God,” said Lodge.

It was a rescue where every second counted, a fact not lost on Doucette.

“I can honestly say that being there saved three people,” said Doucette.

The women were transported to hospitals with varying injuries while the cause of the crash is under investigation.

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