WEST PARIS – A man fishing below Snow Falls Wednesday fell about 25 feet onto rocks in the water, setting off an intense hour-long rescue.

The man, whose name or extent of injuries were not available late Wednesday, remained conscious throughout the ordeal.

Rescuers secured him in a basket in the water and pulled him up the long steep slope using a series of ropes and harnesses tied to trees.

The man was transported by Tri-Town Ambulance to a waiting Lifeflight helicopter at Tri-Town’s headquarters a few miles north of the state rest area on Route 26. He was flown to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, emergency personnel said.

A rest area visitor heard the man’s cries for help while using the bathroom located in the parking area level with Route 26. His friend said the cries sounded distant, as if they were coming from across the Little Androscoggin River, south of the catwalk that crosses over the rushing falls.

The two visitors, who declined to give their names, said they walked down the gravel drive along the picnic tables and wooden rail fence to investigate, and realized the cries were coming from the water at least 50 or 60 feet below. Still, because the banking from where the man fell led to a vertical drop, they could not see the man until they climbed down over the fence to the banking and peered over the edge.

The visitors ran back to find a telephone and called for help at 5:18 p.m. They later retrieved his fishing pole and tackle box as well.

Bill Perkins, a member of Oxford Search and Rescue, heard the call for help over his scanner and helped secure the man into the basket from the water. Tri-Town’s Jack Perkins, a knot expert, also climbed down to the man to secure the rope system.

A portion of the wooden rail fence was knocked down to get the man up to the gravel road. Oxford County Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Brown later tied yellow police tape along the unfenced portion to make the area off-limits.

When all was ready, volunteers from Tri-Town Ambulance’s Search and Rescue Team and six members of the West Paris Fire Department worked to secure the ropes and pull the man up the slope.

Once inside the ambulance, the man received triage medical help from PACE and Tri-County Ambulance workers.

Jane Chandler, a member of Tri-Town Rescue, said the unit’s search and rescue team conducted a mock search and rescue operation from nearly the exact same location only a year ago.