Firefighters rescue driver from canal
Firefighters rescue driver from atop his submerged vehicle
An driver was rescued from the top of his submerged vehicle Sunday night after the vehicle he was operating left the roadway and sank in a Cape Coral canal.
Firefighters from Engine 2 and Rescue 2 under the Command of Battalion Chief Jim Parker responded to Southeast 10 Avenue and Southeast 14 Terrace in answer to a 911 just before 11:15 p.m. The caller reported a vehicle crash into the canal and a man calling for help, officials with the Cape Coral Fire Department said in a prepared statement released Monday.
Cape Coral Police Officer Christian Luna was the first to arrive and found a man sitting on the roof of the vehicle, which was completely submerged. When Engine 2 and Rescue 2 arrived, firefighter / rescue swimmer Jacob Kingery immediately entered the water and swam out to the driver. He was assisted to the seawall and helped up a ladder placed by firefighters. The man said he wasn’t hurt but was checked over by paramedics as a precaution, officials said.
Lt. Ryan Corlew, a dive technician, then entered the water to conduct a thorough search of the vehicle and surrounding area to assure nobody else was in or around the vehicle. That search confirmed nobody else was in the canal. During the dive, Lt. Corlew was in constant communication with Engineer Matthew Sudol and Chief Parker through a specialized diver’s radio communication system and was attached to a safety line so in the unlikely event of a problem arising his location is immediately known and communication can be maintained.
Cape Coral police confirm that the driver was taken into custody on suspicion of Driving Under the Influence, officials said. His name was not immediately released.
The investigation continues by the Cape Coral Police Department.
The vehicle was recovered by a local tow service and no other injuries were reported.
Source: Cape Coral Fire Department