LEWISTON – A Lewiston man was recovering at Central Maine Medical Center a day after he fell about 25 feet from the steep banks of Snow Falls to rocks in the Little Androscoggin River below.

A spokesperson at the Lewiston hospital said Thursday afternoon that Junior LaBrecque, 63, of Lewiston was in fair condition following the accident, which occurred while he was fishing from a narrow bank below a wooden rail fence along the river.

Oxford County Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Brown said LaBrecque’s identity was confirmed from the license plate of his car, parked in the rest area parking lot on Route 26 near the falls in the town of West Paris. Brown said he had not yet talked to the man, who was conscious throughout an hour-long rescue operation involving at least 20 volunteers from Tri-Town Search and Rescue, and the West Paris Fire Department, as well as one man from the Oxford County Search and Rescue team.

Two men who had stopped at the rest area to use the bathroom heard the man’s cries for help and called for emergency assistance.