He was up the creek without a paddle.
A man spent nearly two hours desperately clinging onto his overturned canoe and screaming for help underneath a Philadelphia bridge before first responders were able to rescue him, officials said.
Harrowing images from beneath the Falls Bridge showed the man barely keeping his head and torso above the water along the Schuylkill River Viaduct on Wednesday morning, local ABC 6 reported.
The man’s canoe had reportedly suffered a leak and overturned right by one of the bridge’s pillars at around 4 a.m., with the time of day and position making it difficult for anyone to hear or see him.
It took nearly an hour for people to spot the man and hear him yelling for help, with a marine rescue team deployed to pull him out of the water by 6 a.m.
The man, who was in his 60s, was quickly transported to a nearby hospital, where he is being evaluated after spending two hours in the cold waters.
During the rescue, two Philadelphia police officers also suffered minor injuries after slipping and falling on rocks, officials added.
The Schuylkill River, a popular local canoeing and kayaking site, is no stranger to dramatic rescues.
On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Police Marine Unit rescued several people from the waters after a dragon boat carrying 12 overturned in the river.
One woman was hospitalized in the incident after she suffered bruising on her chest, police said.
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