A man in his 70s was rescued from a canal by a police officer and a passing truck driver.

The man had fallen into the canal in Brighouse just before 11.20pm last night (Tues).

The man plunged into the water but was able to stand up with the water at waist height. However, he was unable to climb out.

It is thought a passing truck driver alerted police and a police officer and the driver pulled the man out together.

Firefighters also attended and Alex MacFarlane, watch manager at Rastrick Fire Station, said: “All credit goes to the police from the Lower Calder Valley I think, and the truck driver.

“We were called as we have a water rescue team, but they did all the work.

“The 70-year-old man had somehow fallen into the canal at Brighouse, near Bridge Road.

“When we arrived the man had been pulled out and he was on the canal towpath.

“We understand he may have been in for up to 30 minutes, he was stood up at waist height in the water.”

The man was covered with space blankets to regulate his body temperature and he was treated by the ambulance service for cuts and bruises sustained as he tried to climb out.

He was taken to hospital for observations.

Mr MacFarlane added: “It will have been cold in the water for that long so he needed to be checked out.”