A man in his 70s was rushed to hospital after driving his mobility scooter over the edge of a sea wall while looking at boats.

Police and ambulance attended Military Road, alongside Ramsgate harbour, after being alerted to the accident at 1.27pm this afternoon.

The man, who is thought to have been watching boats in the harbour before accidentally moving too far forward, landed on the concrete pontoon below.

Eyewitnesses who called 999 said the fall was so high they are surprised the man survived.

Marine engineer David Gilbert, 63, was working at Marlec Marine on the harbour when he saw the elderly gentleman fall.

He said: “He was driving along on his electric buggy, and of course there is no guard or fence, and he was looking at something else.

“He drove straight off the edge.

“My colleague called the ambulance, I was surprised he wasn’t dead.

“He fell about three or four metres onto a concrete pontoon.

“The stretch of road is so narrow there is nowhere for visitors to walk. The road needs to be made safer for pedestrians.”

A spokesman for Kent Police said the man was taken to hospital as a precaution.