The Calgary Fire Department saved a man from the icy Bow River Monday night.

Fire crews received reports of a man in the river around 8:40 p.m. When they got to the scene, they discovered a middle-aged man in the water clinging to an ice shelf.

According to the fire department, the crew quickly put on life jackets and made their way to the man. But the crew was unable to remove him from the water right away because of the strong current, the weight of his clothes and the slippery conditions.

The fire crew held the man in place until the aquatics rescue team arrived minutes later. The man was pulled from the water conscious and breathing.

The crew placed the man in a protective stretcher and used an extension ladder to get him up the slippery bank to a waiting ambulance.

It is believed the man was in the freezing water for around 20 minutes.

The fire department says Calgarians need to be cautious and urges people to stay away from river edges because the ice may be undercut by the current and is very dangerous.