A DRIVER was rescued after his van was in danger of floating away in floodwater at Kingsteignton over the weekend.

The motorist rang 999 when his vehicle was swamped up to window level by the rising waters of the River Teign in the early morning darkness of Saturday.

He told his rescuers during the emergency call that he would try to climb out of the window on to the roof.

Firefighters from Newton Abbot arrived to complete the man’s safe removal from the perilous scene just after 6am.

The drama was played out at the hump back bridge on the Exeter Road between Kingsteignton and Teigngrace, a notorious and frequent flooding location.

Similar near scrapes were reported at the spot which was later closed by police till the high waters subsided.

A specialist team from Exmouth Fire Station had been on its way to help with the driver’s recovery, but they stood down when the local crews in flood rescue suits were able to do the job.

Lighting gear was rigged up to illuminate the operation.

A fire spokesman confirmed the uninjured motorist did not require any medical treatment after his ordeal.

* Later in the day another van driver came a cropper in the depths when his van had to be towed to safety by another vehicle.

Many roads and fields across Teignbridge were deluged over the weekend, but most routes remained passable with care.