FIRE crews battled for nearly an hour to rescue a pensioner who plunged 8ft into a stream alongside a Hampshire car park.

Bob Panting, 84, was returning from a shopping trip when he tripped over a 2ft wall and fell into the water.

Eleven firefighters managed to get Mr Panting onto a spinal board and lift him to safety. He was taken to Southampton General Hospital where he was treated for his injuries, including a cut nose and severe bruising.

He was later discharged.

Mr Panting was walking back to his daughter’s car at The Meads in Romsey when he toppled into the stream which runs into the River Test at Romsey Memorial Park.

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His daughter, Lynda Gussin, had just got into the driving seat when she heard her sister Nicky Bush scream. She scrambled down to him and managed to keep his head out of the water and wrap him in a blanket while they waited for help to arrive.

A group of youths who were walking past grabbed a bench from a nearby garden and put it into the stream to give Mr Panting extra support.

Lynda said: “Dad tried to walk around the back of the car in the darkness to get in.

When I heard my sister scream I got out of the car. I knew he’d gone over the 8ft drop into the stream.

“I scrambled down to him.

He was lying on his back in the cold water which was 4in or 5in deep.

“I could see he was obviously quite badly hurt and his nose was bleeding.

“It was incredible he didn’t have any breakages. He’s having trouble walking at the moment because he hurt his knee.”

Following Saturday evening’s incident, Lynda, of Whitenap Lane, Romsey, plans to write to the council about the wall which, does not have a safety rail along the top.

She added: “I had always thought the wall was dangerous. I hope the council will consider putting a rail along the wall to prevent this happening again.”