EMERGENCY services faced a race against time to free a man stuck in mud before the tide came back in.
Firefighters were called to the incident at Centurion Industrial Estate, in Bitterne Manor where the man had been discovered in mud left when the River Itchen tide had gone out.
He was found close to the quayside and was laid out on the mud which was supporting his weight, but it was a metre deep and he could not get out himself.
Other emergency workers were present from the police, coastguard and Hazardous Area Response Team.
Emergency services used a 'mud path' - an inflatable equipment to reach the man and he was assessed by ambulance staff.
They then used a rope system and a stretcher to get him out.
The man was covered in mud so was then washed off before he was taken to hospital.
Watch manager Sean Foster at St Mary's said it was understood the man had been there for several hours before he was spotted.
Firefighters from St Mary's, Fareham, Hythe and Hightown attended along with further support vehicles at 9.50am this morning .
They freed the man in around 45 minutes.
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