FRANKFORT -- A U.S. Coast Guard boat crew rescued a man who had fallen near the Frankfort breakwall.

The man in his early twenties reportedly fell off the breakwall while fishing early Thursday morning.  Another fisherman nearby was able to throw a life ring to the man.

Coast Guard Station Frankfort was notified by Benzie County dispatch at about 12:55 a.m. and launched a 25-foot response boat and crew.

He was not wearing a life jacket.

"We got there and shined our spotlight along the breakwall and saw the man near the end," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Lauren Emmons, a boatswain's mate and member of the Station Frankfort boat crew. "His friend had tossed him a life ring and was holding onto a line, keeping him away from the rocks. He was too close to the rocks for us to go in safely, but he was able to swim out to us, and we got him onboard."

The man was taken to the Station's Frankfort boat launch and transferred to local Emergency Medical Services.

The Coast Guard recommends that everyone recreating on or near the water have a lifejacket and wear it at all times.  Life jackets save lives.

Of those who drown, the vast majority - 84% of the drowning deaths in 2009 - are those who are not wearing a life jacket. Having and wearing a life jacket helps ensure that a person in the water can either self-rescue or be rescued by others in the area.

For more information regarding life jackets CLICK HERE.