New London — A man was rescued from the Thames River on Thursday morning after a small boat he was in capsized and he was found clinging to a nearby boat, city fire department officials said.

The unidentified man was evaluated following the rescue and refused to be transported for medical care, Battalion Chief Michael Leonard said.

The incident occurred off 16 Sparyard St. at 10:32 a.m., when New London emergency dispatch received a call that a boat had capsized and a man was in the river. The New London Fire Department and city police responded, along with the U.S. Coast Guard.

New London Fire Department personnel found the man clinging to a different boat, attempting to pull himself out of the water. Firefighters talked to the man throughout the rescue effort and launched an inflatable Zodiac boat with a crew wearing survival suits. One firefighter entered the water and assisted the victim into the Zodiac, which brought him to shore.

“It is without a doubt, the quick actions of the members working today made for a positive outcome on this rescue response,” Leonard wrote in the news release.

New London emergency responders also contacted Amtrak with a request to halt an Acela train to allow the rescue crew to use the track area. But New London police spokesman Capt. Matthew Galante said Amtrak was not able to stop the train due to the timing of the request.