( CNN ) -- A man went over Niagara Falls and survived Wednesday afternoon , one of the few people to ever survive the plunge unprotected , authorities said . It is unclear whether the man chose not to aid in his rescue or was physically unable to do so , officials say . The man was seen entering the icy water just above Horseshoe Falls , on the Canadian side , and apparently jumped in about 2:15 p.m , Niagara Falls , Ontario , Fire Chief Lee Smith said . Smith said the unidentified man was in the near-freezing water for `` 40-plus '' minutes before he was rescued by Niagara Parks Police and Niagara Falls firefighter Todd Brunning . Brunning , who was tethered to shore , swam about 60 meters ( nearly 200 feet ) into the river and was able to get hold of the man and bring him to shore . Niagara Parks Police initially used a helicopter from a private company , Niagara Falls Helicopters , to attempt a rescue of the man . When that failed , they used the wind from the chopper 's rotors to push the man closer to shore , Smith said . Watch chopper hover over man in icy water » . He said the man was `` being rotated in a cyclic fashion '' by the river 's very strong currents . The man did not aid in his rescue , officials said , though it was not immediately clear whether he was physically unable to or he did not want to do so . Niagara Falls Fire Capt . Dave Belme said the man was not wearing any clothes when he was rescued , but he added that it 's not unexpected for a person to lose things while being washed down the falls . The man 's `` chances of survival without the quick response would be lessened , '' Smith said . All of the agencies train for situations like this , he said , and they are put to the test about a dozen times a year . Still , he called Wednesday 's rescue `` amazing . ''
Unidentified man apparently jumped in on Canadian side , authorities say . He was in near-freezing Niagara River for more than 40 minutes . Officials unsure why man did not aid in his own rescue .