Stuck in the mud: Fire crew frees walker

An elderly man is rescued today after getting stuck in the mud on the banks of the Thames.

Onlookers by Battersea Bridge raised the alarm when they spotted the 79-year-old alone and up to his thighs in mud. Fire officers arrived just after 10.30am and used an inflatable pathway to pull the man to safety.

The man is believed to have been suffering from hypothermia and was taken to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Onlooker Alona McCumisky, 33, said: "He was clearly in shock and very, very cold, he must have been out there for quite some time." Battersea fire station manager Julian Spooner said the man had gone for a walk along the river bank but became stuck.