A firefighter suffered severe injuries after helping to rescue a person who jumped in the Connecticut River on Thursday.



East Hartford firefighter James Silver was badly hurt after falling off a rooftop while trying to rescue someone.



Around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, a person who was crossing the bridge from East Hartford into Hartford jumped off the bridge into the Connecticut River, police said.



Police and fire departments from Hartford and East Hartford responded and authorities said the rescue operation was challenging.



In trying to determine the best rescue method, Silver, the fire department's chief training officer, was injured after stepping on a snow-covered skylight on the rooftop of an adjacent building on East River Drive.

East Hartford Fire Chief James Oats said Silver

fell 14 feet to a landing, then backward down a half flight of stairs to the landing below.



He was taken to Hartford Hospital to be treated for serious injuries to his lower leg.



Silver is not at home.



