A man who fell into the River Medway at the weekend is believed to have been suffering from a head injury at the time.

The air ambulance made a dramatic landing on the Maidstone bridge on Saturday after the man, aged in his 50s, fell into the water.

It's understood he was travelling on a pushbike along the river's edge before plunging in just before 12pm.

WATCH: Scenes from the incident in Maidstone

Two people who were walking along the stretch of river spotted him struggling to stay above water and dived in to save him.

An eyewitness said he saw the man, who is now expected to make a full recovery, riding along the path in the moments before and noticed an injury to his head.

Emergency services, including police, ambulance crews and the air ambulance, raced to the scene, near the Embankment Bar and Restaurant.

WATCH: Air ambulance takes off from the bridge in Maidstone

The Maidstone bridge system is one of the busiest traffic stretches in the County Town, but cars and vehicles came to a standstill in the surrounding area while the air ambulance landed.

It swooped in and set down in the middle of the gyratory system, while police officers sealed off the approaches to the bridge.

In the minutes after falling in the man was treated by a PCSO and paramedics on the water's edge before South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) and supporting police officers arrived.

A SECAmb spokesman said: "We were called to reports of a potential drowning incident.

"We sent a total of three cars and one ambulance. The man was suffering the effects of being in the water. He was described as breathing on scene but gasping for breath."

After being treated for approximately 30 minutes, the man was carried up to the bridge and taken to Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury by road ambulance.

Numerous police cars - both marked and unmarked - were also on scene.

Pedestrians were being allowed to cross the road in front of the stationary air ambulance, which was near Bridges Wine Bar and the Crown Court.

Cordons were put in place at either end of the river, near The Embankment bar and restaurant, and officers were redirecting members of the public attempting to walk through.

The incident caused traffic gridlock as cars were held along Bishops Way and Fairmeadow.

Traffic heading away from town from Tonbridge Road, via Fairmedow towards Maidstone East station, was being allowed to move.

Hundreds of people watched the air ambulance take off just after 1pm. It accompanied the road ambulance to Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury, where the man remains in a serious but stable condition.

Traffic was released and delays began to clear shortly after.

Emergency services left the scene late Saturday afternoon.