A 63-year-old man escaped injury Saturday morning when he inadvertently drove his car into an ice pressure ridge on Damariscotta Lake, causing the ice to collapse under the car in 40 feet of water, according to the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W).
Henry Lee, 63, of Newcastle, was driving alone in his 2006 Chevrolet Impala on the lake when he drove into a pressure ridge approximately 30 feet in width at approximately 10:30 a.m.
According to Maine Game Warden Joey Lefebvre, Lee heard the ice breaking under his vehicle, opened its door, and jumped from the vehicle as it was sinking rapidly.
“I think it was between 10 and 12 seconds before the car sank,” Lee said after the ordeal. “Getting the seatbelt off and getting out of the car that fast — that was just a whole bunch of little miracles.”
The car was removed from the lake Sunday afternoon, according to Lee.
The Lincoln County News website will continue to follow this incident and report any additional information here. For a complete story of this incident, check The Lincoln County News Print and E-Editions on Thurs., Feb. 25.
