KENNEBUNK – A 25-year-old Massachusetts man who dove into the ocean off Kennebunk and didn’t resurface was found unresponsive in the water Thursday night, the Coast Guard said.

Authorities would not release the man’s name or other details about the incident until his family had been notified, said Coast Guard Lt. Nick Barrow.

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The man apparently dove from a buoy about seven-tenths of a mile out to sea from the Kennebunk River, Barrow said.

Witnesses said the man hit his head as he entered the water and never resurfaced, Barrow said. His friends reported the incident around 6 p.m.

The man was swimming off a 23-foot boat with friends when he failed to resurface. Authorities began searching for him early Thursday evening.

“(Rescuers) were on the scene within minutes,” Barrow said.

The search was conducted by the Coast Guard, the harbormaster, the Maine Marine Patrol, the Maine State Police dive team and Kennebunk Fire and Rescue. A Jayhawk helicopter based at Cape Cod, Mass., assisted with the search.

Barrow said he did not know how many people were on the boat when the man went into the water, or what the man’s head might have hit.

Staff Writer Randy Billings can be contacted at 791-6346 or at:

rbillings@pressherald.com