FIRE crews rescued a casualty after reports of a person in difficulty in the River Dart.

Bovey Tracey Fire Station attended the incident alongside Ashburton Fire Station and specialist rescue teams from Camels Head.

The individual was located next to the water and assisted to safety by crews before being taken to hospital for treatment.

The incident came during a period of hot weather, with Devon’s fire service warning of the dangers of entering open water.

During the recent heatwave, 15 fatalities linked to water-related incidents were reportedly nationally.

‘We realise the temptation to cool off during this hot weather, but the hidden dangers in the water cannot be under estimated’, a spokesperson for Bovey Tracey Fire Station said.

Safety advice has been issued urging people to ‘float to live’ if they get into difficulty, and to avoid entering the water to attempt rescues.

Instead, the ‘phone, float, throw’ approach is recommended: call 999, encourage floating, and throw flotation aids from safety.