November 4, 2009

MONTEREY -- An underwater diver was rescued from a full water tower at the Monterey Correctional Facility early this afternoon.

He was working for a private contractor brought in to address problems with rust inside the tank.

Few details were immediately available this afternoon but the prison superintendent said the man got tangled in a series of lines and cables being used inside the tank.

The entire ordeal lasted over two hours, with the man trapped beneath the surface for about 75 minutes.

He was airlifted to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse with unspecified injuries, although hypothermia from the length of time spent in the cold water was one of the concerns officials mentioned.