Off-duty firefighter and a former Navy pilot rescue woman from submerged SUV

An off-duty firefighter and a former Navy pilot teamed up to rescue an elderly woman who accidentally drove into Lake Stevens Thursday evening.

The car ended up about 100 feet from shore, sinking into the lake’s North Cove.

According to the Everett Herald, off-duty firefighter Alex Fatkin saw the call come in just after 8:00 p.m. and grabbed his wet suit and snorkel.

Once he got there, he jumped into the frigid water and pulled the woman to safety.

Medics transported her to a hospital to be treated for exposure to the cold water.

(Photo: Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue)

Fire crews from Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue say the foggy and dark conditions led to the woman making a wrong turn at a boat ramp and accidentally driving into the water.

Officials estimate the water was about 40 degrees at the time, cold enough to quickly incapacitate a person.

Fatkin said on social media he was at home when he learned about the emergency.

Once he arrived he was assisted by Matthew Loverink, a former Navy helicopter pilot.  Loverink told KIRO7 News he was hanging out with friends, when he noticed something was not right at the boat launch, as if a car had gone out on the pier.

Then he noticed the car’s lights in the water.

Loverink helped stabilize the car, by standing on the vehicle’s hood as Fatkin tried getting the woman out of the driver’s seat.

“I knew we only had a few seconds before it started to go down,” Fatkin told KIRO7 News.  “Big kudos to him.  By him standing on the opposite side, it helped level out the car to prevent it from sinking.”

The woman tried to self-rescue out of the partially-submerged Ford Bronco Sport, but couldn’t exit from the SUV.

“She tried to make her way out of the window and was unable to,” Fatkin said, “so I just grabbed her jacket and was able to pull her out.”

“If the good Samaritan wasn’t there, I believe the driver would not have been able to get out of the car themselves,” said Peter Mongillo, spokesperson for Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue told the Everett Herald.

Firefighters also treated Fatkin at the scene for cold water exposure.

It’s important for drivers to be cautious and vigilant in dark and foggy conditions.  Firefighters say on nights like this, still water can look like a solid surface.

Loverink says, as a former helicopter pilot, he’s familiar with conditions like the thick fog that led to the driver mistakenly driving into the lake.

“The fog, the inky blackness of the lake, it looked like the road all the way out,” he told KIRO7. “I can absolutely see how this happened.”

Fire department spokesperson Mongillo told the Herald this was the third vehicle found in Lake Stevens in the past year.

“If your vehicle enters the water, stay calm and roll down the window immediately,” he said in a social media post.  “Attempt to open the door but understand it may only open once the water pressure equalizes. Do not prioritize retrieving personal belongings like your phone or bag —focus on escaping quickly.”