24 June 2012 Last updated at 11:19 ET

Newport canoeists rescued from swollen River Wye

A group of canoeists have been rescued after getting into difficulty on a fast-flowing river.

The 19 men from Newport, south Wales, were pulled from the River Wye shortly after 18:00 BST on Saturday.

They were found at various points of a two-mile section of the river, between Bishopswood, Ross-on-Wye, and Lydbrook in Gloucestershire.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said one man was taken to hospital in Hereford as a precaution.

Members of the Severn Area Rescue Association, a fire service rescue boat and a hazardous area response team assisted in the rescue after a 999 call.

Other members of the group were treated at the scene for the effects of cold.

The ambulance service said the men had been "extremely fortunate".

"Crews arrived to find a number of the party that had managed to get themselves to the side of the river to safety," a spokesman said.

"Unfortunately, a number were unaccounted for in the water."

All the men were accounted for by 19:20 BST.

Emergency services said the Wye was particularly dangerous at the moment because of high river levels.