Duxbury Fire explains what to do if you accidentally drive into water

Duxbury Fire Captain Alex Merry is trained for intense water rescues as the leader of the Plymouth County Technical Rescue Team.

Captain Merry says his dive team can gear up in less than a minute for a water rescue. They even practice rescues on a car submerged in water at least once a year.

He says it’s devastating to see the bridge collapse in Baltimore, and even though it’s rare for that to happen, it’s always good to know what to do in case of an accident.

Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse: 6 missing people presumed dead; active search suspended

“Stay calm, it’s easier said than done, but the calmer you stay the clearer your thought process is,” said Captain Merry.

He says if you drive into water, the first thing you want to do is unbuckle your seat belt and try to get out of the car as quickly as possible.

“Roll your windows down so that it’s easier to exit and go out the window as opposed to trying to operate the door to get out,” said Captain Merry.

But if you can’t get your window down fast enough, Merry says you can try to break it with a puncture device or something in your car.

“You could try your keys, you could try kicking it out, if there’s a heavy object in the car could give a good strike force on that window,” said Capt. Merry.

Captain Merry says if you’re submerged in water and need to break the window to get out of your car, go for the corner of the window instead of the middle.

“Don’t try to use it in the middle because glass reflects, so if you hit in one of the corners the window should shatter,” said Capt. Merry.

If you’re stuck inside the car as it submerges in water, Captain Merry says you may still be able to find air.

“There are cases where there’s an air pocket towards the back, so we always tell people if that does happen, to try to find that air pocket and that’s survivable air for however long that’s there for,” said Capt. Merry.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter . | Watch Boston 25 News NOW