A couple was rescued from the Truckee River on Thanksgiving Day after being stranded in the water, officials said. 

Fire crews arrived at the river in east Truckee Canyon, Nevada, just before 5 p.m. on Thursday after receiving a report of people screaming, Adam Mayberry, a spokesperson for the Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue Department, told SFGATE. Fire officials learned that one person fell in the river and the other tried to save them, leaving both people stranded in the water, Mayberry said. 

The rescue crew found the couple in the middle of the river, leaning against a rock, he said. The couple was brought back to shore within 20 minutes by two rescuers from the fire department and appeared to have some symptoms of hypothermia. 

Both people were transported to a local hospital for their cold-related injuries, Mayberry said. 

The Truckee River, which drains into Pyramid Lake, is extremely cold even during summer months, Mayberry said. The river is mostly composed of melted snow and can be very dangerous because of its temperature and swift currents.

Mayberry said those who spend time by the river should wear a flotation device and always have at least one other person with them in the case of an accident. 

He said fortunately a passerby called emergency personnel for the couple on Thursday, but the person who attempted to rescue the other “probably would have been better off if they just called 911 and stayed out of the river.”

This story has been updated.