A man has been rescued after spending a chilly evening stuck in waist-deep water at the bottom of a well north of Toronto while his young son tried to find help.

York Regional Police say the incident occurred on a property in Markham, Ont., near 9th Line and 14th Avenue, at about 10 p.m. ET Saturday.

The man was with his six-year-old son when he stepped on a rotten piece of plywood which gave way, plunging him six metres to the bottom of the well, according to police.

The man asked his son to get help, and the boy unsuccessfully tried to flag down a passing car. The father then told his son to walk to nearby houses.

It wasn't until the early hours of Sunday morning, however, that the man's son was able to make contact with someone.

Police found the man stranded in the well shortly before 3 a.m. Firefighters also responded.

Frank Naccarato, a platoon chief with Markham Fire, told CBC News that fire crews cleared debris from the surface and lowered an extension ladder into the well, allowing the man to climb out.

Police say the man was taken to a local hospital but he did not suffer any serious injuries.