POLICE and firefighters were called to help rescue a woman from the River Itchen in Winchester.

The incident happened close to River Park Leisure Centre in Gordon Road on Friday.

A woman who said she had been at River Park Leisure Centre and saw the aftermath of the emergency response said she saw two fire engines at the scene, two police cars and the air ambulance.

She said: “It looked like a full scale operation and there was a small crowd gathered.”

A police spokeswoman said they were called to the scene after a concern for the woman’s welfare; however by the time officers arrived she was out of the water.

A spokesperson for Winchester Fire Station also reiterated what the police said that a female had been “self rescued” before firefighters arrived.

The incident happened at 6.32pm on Friday.