26 December 2012 Last updated at 12:28 ET

Upturned red canoe sparks River Usk alert

An upturned canoe sparked a rescue on the swollen River Usk in south Wales until a father and son were found safe and well.

The red canoe carried on down river after the pair capsized at Cydach, near Abergavenny, and swam to the bank.

A member of the public raised the alarm after spotting the canoe and a paddle floating under a bridge in Usk.

A Severn Area Rescue Association crew had been searching for an hour when the father rang to report the canoe's loss.

Mervyn Fleming, area commander for Severn Area Rescue Association (Sara) said the concern was that someone had fallen in the river which was swollen with flood water after recent rains.

He said the crew searched a 5km (three-mile) stretch of the river below Usk, from Caerleon to Newbridge.

He said: "The report was that a canoe had gone under a bridge at Usk. No-one was able to say where it was launched or where it was lost.

"The river is particularly swollen with flood water at the moment. That gave us great cause for concern."

Gwent Police said the alert was raised at about 12:50 GMT on Wednesday.