A DISABLED woman was rescued from the Kennet and Avon Canal at Devizes Wharf yesterday.

The woman, from Thatcham in Berkshire, and believed to be in her fifties, fell into the canal while travelling in her electric wheelchair along the towpath at about 12.40pm.

Three people came to her aid and held on to her until paramedics and firefighters arrived.

Fire crews using water rescue equipment got the woman to dry land where she was taken to the Great Western Hospital, Swindon, to be checked over. Her injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

Andy Buller, of Longcroft Road, Devizes, went to the woman's aid.

Mr Buller, 42, was helping to set up the marquee by the Wharf Theatre for this weekend's beer festival when he heard the commotion.

He said: "I was on the bank holding on to her with some other guys supporting her head out of the water.

"She was conscious but very cold and scared. She said she lost control of the wheelchair or it went while she was on the towpath.

"The next thing she remembers is she was rolling down the bank and into the canal."

The woman was among a small group of disabled people from West Berkshire on a Social Services trip.

Ade Hurren, station manager at the Wiltshire Fire and Rescue training centre at Hopton Industrial Estate, said: "The prompt and brave actions of the members of the public who managed to pull the woman towards the canal bank undoubtedly saved her life. They are to be commended for their actions."

A total of 15 fireighters attended and the rescue took about 40 minutes.

The first crew to arrive was from Devizes and fire fighters put on life jackets and put a line around the woman to secure her.

Crew manager Richard Lake said: "The woman was complaining about her back so we couldn't drag her up the steep bank."

Specialist water rescue crews from Trowbridge and Cooper Avon Tyres in Melksham then arrived.

The woman was put on to a spine board and lifted on to an inflatable walkway which was towed by a fire rescue dinghy across the canal to the slipway near the Wharf Theatre.

She was then put into an ambulance and taken to hospital.

Mr Hurren said: "This incident shows that water is quite dangerous and while this clearly was an accident I would warn people to be respectful of the water."