A man on a Canadian Indian reservation was successfully rescued in northern Saskatchewan when his canoe was frozen into ice, rescuers said.

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The incident began Wednesday morning when Norman Martell, 56, became iced in on Waterhen Lake, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

When he was late in returning home, police and fire rescue crews were called.

Rescuer Victor Mark told the CBC a rescuers in a rowboat worked like a miniature icebreaker, with some paddling and others in the front hacking at the ice to clear a path for more than four hours.

Once Martell was rescued, he said he tried to get out of the canoe to walk to shore, but realized the ice wouldn't support his weight.

He was taken to a hospital in Meadow Lake with no apparent injuries for observation, the report said.