PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The Coast Guard says an off-duty helicopter instructor from Maine is being credited with rescuing a woman who was struggling to stay afloat off the coast of Florida.

Lt. Cmdr. Gabriel Somma, who's stationed at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Florida, swam out to rescue the woman Sunday off Penascola, Fla.

He says his water survival training kicked in and that the experience gave him a newfound respect for rescue swimmers. Soma is a graduate of Deering High School in Portland.

 

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)