A man clinging to a rock on the waters of the Lehigh River was rescued Sunday afternoon.

Bowmanstown Fire Chief Michael Spairana Jr. said the dispatch came in at 3:41 p.m.

“We were dispatched initially to the Bowmanstown side and we had conflicting reports,” Spairana said. “We found that the individual was on the East Penn side over by the rope swing on a tree.”

Spairana described how the rescue unfolded.

“When we got to the rope side, he wasn’t there, he was about a 1/4 mile further north on the D & L down by the Bowmanstown sewer treatment plant where there’s a cliff area where it drops down,” he said. “Initially, he was in the river on the tube, lost control of the tube, another tuber that wasn’t with him got him over to a rock which was adjacent to the shore line. He hung onto the rock, but he didn’t have enough strength at that time to make his way to the shoreline.”

Spairana said there were about six people down on the shoreline who assisted the man, who’s identity is unknown, to go from the rock to the shore, then assisted him walking up and around the cliff, and then up to the D & L.

He said firefighters remained on scene for nearly an hour, and added the Parryville Fire Department and East Penn Fire Department assisted at the scene.

“I kind of wish people who were on the river would take it to be a serious life threat and wear flotation devices,” he said. “You see a lot of people on the river and on inner tubes, but no life vests.”

Spairana stressed the toll it takes on emergency responders.

“They all think that they’re invincible,” he said. “It does create a problem for us.”