An elderly man who went out for a walk near the Scarborough Bluffs got more than he bargained for when his foot became stuck between rocks, leaving him stranded for several hours.

Norbert Hildebrant – a life-long Toronto resident – is an avid hiker. 

On Wednesday afternoon, Hildebrant headed out with the intention of sunbathing near the Scarborough Bluffs when a short walk turned into an overnight stay.

Hildebrant says he walked down a steep trail in the area and quickly realized he wasn’t capable of climbing back up. Instead, he decided to go around the hill and headed toward Brimley Road where a paved path would eventually lead him home.

“I left here at the bottom of Warden at about 3 o’clock and I kept walking and walking and falling and crawling,” he said with a laugh.

The hike became dangerous when a heavy summer storm moved through the GTA that night, flooding roads and knocking out power for thousands of residents.

“I went through three thunderstorms and the lightning was striking the water… I was worried about the lightning. I’d never seen a storm so heavy,” he said.

Hildebrant used his cane for support and balance throughout the hike. He says he knew he was in trouble the whole way.

“It was 9 o’clock or 9:30 and I decided, you know, I can’t do this in the dark,” he said. “So I unpacked my bag and set out my blanket and just went to sleep.”

It was at 3 a.m. the next morning when Hilderbrandt woke up and decided to start walking again.

But just as he restarted the trek, his foot became trapped in a drainage culvert.

Firefighters were called to the Scarborough Bluffs area around 8 a.m. Thursday after receiving reports that Hildebrant was stuck in shallow water, just west of the marina.

A Toronto police Marine Unit boat was sent to the scene as part of the rescue efforts.

Hildebrant says it was a runner – named Steve -- who spotted him and called for help.

“He said, ‘do you need my help?’ And I said, ‘I sure could use it,’ because I was bawling in the water there for about an hour,” Hildebrant said as he held back tears.

“It was one of those times where I did a lot of praying... I knew I was in real trouble but I knew I was going to get out of it.”

He calls Steve his “guardian angel” and hopes to get ahold of him to thank him.

“Thumbs up, Steve.”