Two Rescued After Their Car Takes Dive Into Lake in Irvine

Two passersby and a police officer rescued a pair of Irvine women who drove into a lake after losing control of their car, possibly because the driver had been drinking, authorities said Wednesday.

Michelle Marassi and Karinne Stevenson, both 21, were traveling south on Yale Avenue at 1:40 a.m. when Marassi lost control of her Ford Explorer at an intersection with Yale Loop. The truck hit a cement pillar and a chain-link fence and landed upside-down in North Lake, Irvine Police Sgt. Sam Allevato said. Marassi later was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, he said.

After the crash, Irvine residents Matt Cornwell, 31, and Sam Gonzales, 40, dove into the lake and rescued the women from the sinking vehicle. When Dave Gibbs, a senior investigator for Irvine police, arrived at the scene, the two women were safe but still in the water. Gibbs dove into the lake to make sure no other passengers were trapped, Allevato said.

The two women suffered minor injuries and were taken to Irvine Medical Center, where they were treated and released. The men were not injured during the rescue.