Six firefighters had to build a temporary bridge to rescue a man stuck 'up to his knees in mud' on Imperial Way on Friday (January 26).

Six firefighters wearing dry suits waded out into the Exe Estuary, to rescue the stricken man. Two team members went ahead with a sledge and a mud lance to release the male. The mud lance uses compressed air to break the vacuum caused by the mud around the casualties' legs.

One crew from Exeter, Exmouth Fire Station and the Environmental Protection Unit, (EPU) from Newton Abbot fire station rescued a walker who was trapped up to his knees in mud, approximately 400 meters from the bank within the estuary in Exmouth.

The remaining four crew members used mud mats in order to provide a safe path back towards the bank for the casualty and fire crews within the estuary.

A spokesman for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue said: "Once rescued, the crews from Newton Abbot utilised the EPU to decontaminated everyone involved in the incident, as well as decontaminate the equipment to ensure it's clean and in a serviceable state.

"The individual who was rescued was thankfully uninjured and in good spirits, if not a bit embarrassed by the whole incident."