'Humble, private' Phillips Seafood sous chef credited for heroic rescue in Inner Harbor

BALTIMORE -- Tom Walsh, a sous chef at Phillips Seafood, is "humble, private and does not want attention," according to the restaurant's spokesperson.

But the chef is considered by witnesses as a "hero."

Walsh jumped into the Inner Harbor Wednesday afternoon to rescue a man who drove into the water.

He reportedly busted open the car door window and took the man to safety.

"I hope he's OK," said witness Cher Briscoe. "But the man that saved him. I hope he gets a reward and some money."

A day later, you can still see mud on the dock from where rescue teams pulled the car out of the water.

Witnesses told WJZ they saw that Phillips Seafood employee jump into the Inner Harbor and resurface with the driver.

"I saw when somebody went in the water to save him, it was a guy that worked in Phillips," witness Jeremiah Mayo said. "It was like an old guy. They had to bust the window open to get him out."

Around 4 p.m., police said a man "experiencing a mental health crisis" crashed into the water in the 700 block of East Pratt Street.

Walsh was reportedly leaving the restaurant when he saw the commotion and sprang into action.

The restaurant's manager confirmed that Walsh broke the car window, pulled the man out and swam him to the life ring where they were pulled out of the water by first responders.

Both were taken to the hospital.

Walsh has since been discharged from the hospital.

"They took him out, wrapped him up in a blanket, took him to the hospital, and the other guy to the hospital," Mayo said. "I hope he'll be OK and hopefully the other guy will be OK because that water is too dirty for someone to jump in there."