An elderly woman is recovering in hospital on Monday after being pulled from the River Medway.

The woman in her 70s, described as ‘vulnerable’, was found by Medway coastguards who pulled her from the water at The Strand, Gillingham.

Richard Rodgers, deputy station officer for HM Coastguard Medway, said he and his team had found the woman at the water’s edge behind the swimming pool area.

Mr Rodgers said: "We believe she may have been sitting on the sea wall.

"She was suffering from hypothermia when we found her but she was probably only in the water for five or 10 minutes."

Mr Rodger’s team used seven vehicles to scour the coast while another eight vehicles from Sheppey Coastguard assisted in the search.

Police also used dogs in the search.

The woman was reported missing at 11.50pm on Sunday night and was found by about 1.30am on Monday morning.

She was taken to Medway Maritime Hospital as a precautionary measure.