New London — City firefighters and police early Saturday morning rescued a man who was in 48-degree water for about 20 minutes at Ocean Beach Park, according to a news release from the New London Fire Department.

The fire department was dispatched about 6:30 a.m. for what it described as an emotionally distressed man in the water off the rocks. All 16 firefighters on duty responded, donning cold-water suits and using an inflatable boat.

The department said firefighter Jason Erban entered the water tethered to a rope and pulled the man to shore. Other firefighters and police officers assisted the man onto a rock jetty, and crews began treating the man for hypothermia.

Battalion Chief Jonathan Paige said the man remained conscious the entire time. The man was taken via fire department ambulance to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, and Paige said he was in stable condition when dropped off.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Waterford Fire Boat initially were requested, but the request was canceled once the man was out of the water.

e.moser@theday.com