Portland Fire Department officials have identified the veteran firefighter who died Monday in a scuba-diving accident.
Authorities say Cpt. Michael Kucsma, 43, a decorated firefighter who had been on the job for 21 years, died during the off-duty recreational dive in Casco Bay, near the Maine Yacht Center.
Kucsma was a experienced diver, officials say. He was reported missing yesterday afternoon by a diving partner. The Portland Fire Department responded to the scene, and rescuers found Kucsma but were unable to resuscitate him.
Portland Fire Chief Jerome LaMoria says the loss is hitting the department hard.
"When you spend this amount of time with someone and place the kind of trust in each other as we do, we become a big family," he says in a statement. "It's just a devastating loss for everyone."
Funeral arrangements for Cpt. Kucsma have not yet been determined.
