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A man in his 50’s has been taken to hospital believed to be suffering with flash burns and hypothermia, following a boat fire off St Mary’s Island, Chatham Maritime, on the South East coast of England.

Firefighters were alerted to the blaze shortly before 2pm this afternoon and arrived to find the man had been rescued from the River Medway by army personnel based nearby, who had heard a small explosion and seen smoke.

The man was given oxygen therapy and treated at the scene by firefighters and paramedics before being taken to hospital.

A spokesman for Kent Fire & Rescue Service said fire crews used a hose reel to extinguish the fire and were assisted by the army to move the boat up the embankment.