BATH — A man walked away with minor injuries after falling from a pier into the Kennebec River in Bath Friday afternoon.

Bath Fire Chief Lawrence Renaud said a 63-year-old man was standing on cross support of the pier at the South End Dog Park on lower Washington Street. He was leaning over the railing looking at the water when he apparently got dizzy and fell into the water.

Renaud said Bath firefighters and Bath Police Sgt. Nathan Gould responded to the dog park. Personnel on a Bath Iron Works security boat already in the river responded as well.

“When we got there the man was still in the water,” Renaud said.

The security personnel on the BIW boat had the man by his arms but he was still in the water. Firefighters boarded the boat and helped pull the man to safety. Renaud said the man estimated he was in the water for about 5 minutes. He gripped a tire that was attached to a piling. It was near high tide and fortunately, the current wasn’t any stronger.

“He was hanging on for dear life,” Renaud said.

Once in the boat, the man was taken to the nearby boat launch where an ambulance was waiting. He was evaluated by first responders but wasn’t taken to the hospital. He suffered minor bruises.

Renaud said the city is fortunate that the shipyard assists with water rescue emergencies in close proximity.

“He was pretty exhausted by the time BIW got to him,” he said.

dmoore@timesrecord.com