Video footage captured the moment a Maryland chef saved a driver whose car was sinking in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor on Wednesday.
As Philips Seafood employee Jordan Payne walked to work, she noticed the vehicle sinking into the water, prompting her to seek help from her colleagues nearby. A sous chef, named “Tom,” sprung into action and bashed in the car window to save the distressed driver’s life before the vehicle began sinking, according to The Baltimore Banner. (RELATED: Florida Construction Worker Dies After Crane Tips Over, Plunges Into Water In Key Largo)
WATCH:
Three cheers for the chef who jumped into the water to rescue a motorist from the Inner Harbor today https://t.co/ToPmPF9l2Q
(Credit: J.J. Farley) pic.twitter.com/2cScXE1R3a
— The Baltimore Banner (@BaltimoreBanner) March 23, 2023
“He’s like banging on the window, trying to break it,” Payne told the outlet. Payne recalled that his hand was “way cut up” and his knuckles “busted.”
A sous chef is in the hospital after he jumped into the Inner Harbor to pull a man out of a sinking car. Tune in to WJZ at 11 p.m. to hear from bystanders who witnessed the risky rescue.https://t.co/IJlES7bbUb pic.twitter.com/9gCWImL25s
— WJZ | CBS Baltimore (@wjz) March 23, 2023
Shortly after 4pm #BCFD responded to a rescue call @ the Inner Harbor for report of a vehicle in water. Upon arrival all occupants were out the vehicle w/ the help of a bystander. 2 people were treated & transported w/ minor injuries.
Harbor Rescue 2-20#PrideProtectingPeople pic.twitter.com/YaTbhZtYJY
— Baltimore Fire (@BaltimoreFire) March 22, 2023
The Baltimore Fire Department said in a statement that first responders were on the scene of the incident and that “a bystander jumped in to rescue the occupant,” according to the Banner. The pair of individuals were taken to a local hospital with “minor injuries,” the department said. (RELATED: Not One Student Was Proficient In Math In 23 Baltimore Schools: REPORT)
The seafood chef Tom could not be reached for comment by the Banner.
It remains unclear how the SUV ended up in the harbor waters in the first place, WMAR 2 noted.