A DISABLED man was rescued by firefighters after he fell and sank into thick mud along the River Medway.

The man, who is believed to be in his 60s, moored his boat at Rochester Cruising Club and was making his way along the footpath towards the club building when he lost his footing and tumbled.

Leading firefighter Eric Pope, of Strood fire station, said: "We were informed the man had a muscle-wasting disease and while he was walking back to the club he lost his footing, fell over and banged his head."

Three pumps, plus a Land Rover with mud rescue equipment, were sent to the scene but in the end the firefighters used the old-fashioned technique of scooping the man out of the mud.

"We managed to use one of the ambulanceÕs stretchers to scoop him out," explained Mr Pope. "He was able to get on to the stretcher and we lifted him out of the mud that way. We started giving him first aid and then the ambulance took over."

The emergency services were at the scene for 45 minutes before the man was taken to Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham.

"Apart from the bang on the head and being a bit shaken up, the man was OK," added Mr Pope.