Firefighters got the man’s call for help about 6:30 a.m., Arlington Rural Fire Chief Travis Hots said. The man already had been in the water for hours and was suffering from hypothermia.

The man was trapped near the South Fork Stilly, just west of Twin Rivers Park. He was about 100 yards from the river in a flooded grove of cottonwood. The rising water and thick brush meant crews couldn’t reach the man on foot, Hots said. They considered summoning a rescue helicopter, but the weather wasn’t favorable.

The hovercraft was launched, and crews were stationed at various locations as spotters, ready to throw out special buoyant rescue ropes if things went south. Tree trunks and other debris were moving swiftly downstream. The hovercraft had to pause at times to avoid being struck, Hots said.

When the hovercraft’s path was blocked by brush, rescuers walked out to the man through several feet of water, Hots said. They put a lifejacket on him and helped him walk to the vessel.

An ambulance was waiting on the other side.

Arlington Rural volunteers were joined by the Stillaguamish Swift Water Rescue Team, made up of crews from throughout north Snohomish County.