The Coast Guard employee fell off the wharf at the Saint John base on Tuesday morning. (CBC)

A Coast Guard employee had to be rescued from the Bay of Fundy on Tuesday morning after she fell from the wharf at the Saint John base.

The woman was taken to hospital for observation as a precaution, said Saint John Fire Platoon Chief Joe Armstrong.

She was stepping onto a Coast Guard vessel shortly before 8:30 a.m. when she fell, he said.

Fire crews responded, but Coast Guard staff on site pulled her out before the fire department's rescue boat was deployed, said Armstrong.

The woman was wearing a flotation device, but didn't have a dry suit on, he said.

Her colleagues' quick action helped stop her body temperature from dropping to a dangerous level, said Armstrong.

"She was in the water, and the water temperature in the bay doesn't fluctuate much throughout the year to begin with, but because of the cold weather, hypothermia can set in very fast.

"So the Coast Guard acted as a result of the training they do have, they acted proactively and quickly and got her out of the water and crews assisted with getting her inside and making sure the hypothermia didn't set in."

Armstrong says the woman seemed to be in good condition. She was talking and didn't appear to have sustained any injuries, he said.