Video: Man Pulled From River After Ill. Officer Hears Cries for Help

Illinois police saved a 25-year-old man who had fallen into a river early Thursday after an alert officer heard individual's cries for help.

The rescue happened at around 4:25 a.m. when a Joliet police officer heard a man yelling for help from the Des Plaines River, the department stated in an online news releas that included body camera footage of the incident. More officers were called to assist, and they located the man near the south end of the Bicentennial Park riverwalk.

Once they found the man, the officers deployed water rescue equipment and tossed ropes into the water. The man was able to hang on to the ropes until the fire department arrived.

Firefighters entered the water and discovered the man was too weak to climb a ladder to escape the water. That's when a rescue boat was launched, and the man was pulled to safety.

Medics took the man to the hospital, where he was treated. The man didn't appear to be in crisis, according to police.

He told police had slipped and fallen into the river and wasn't trying to hurt himself. It's unclear how long he was in the water.

“In Joliet, our first responders depend on one another, and this incident is a powerful example of that partnership in action," Police Chief Bill Evans said in a statement. "Our officers quickly located the individual and took immediate steps to keep him safe until the Joliet Fire Department arrived. Together, they worked seamlessly to bring him out of the water. This is what our community can expect, when someone is in need, Joliet’s first responders will show up, work together, and do everything possible to serve our community.”