A man had a chilly evening Saturday in Fredericton after he fell through the Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge and into the St. John River.

According to Fredericton police Sgt. Ross Chandler, police and fire responded to a report of a person in the water.

When they arrived they found the man had fallen through the bridge, which has been closed for renovations since mid-September.

Fredericton fire dispatched a boat and rescued the man.

"He was walking on the bridge and it was dark and he didn't realize that some of the planking had been taken up and he just walked into a hole and fell through," said Chandler.

"I think it's pretty obvious that the bridge is under construction."

There are numerous signs, barricades and even chain-link fencing to keep people from walking onto the bridge.

While Chandler could not confirm where the man fell through, or which direction he was travelling, the bridge is 7.6 metres off the water at mid-span.

Paramedics attended to the man at the scene. He was taken to hospital but did not sustain any serious injuries.

"The water was pretty cold and I think he was pretty cold himself," said Chandler.