WISBECH taxi driver Dennis Salter broke his neck after his car plunged into the 10 ft deep dyke in Honeyhill Road, Gorefield.

Mr Salter, 73, is now at home with his neck in a collar for possibly three months following his dramatic rescue by Cambridgeshire fire service.

Early reports said Mr Salter couldn’t swim but he said today: “I couldn’t swim to the side of the river because my neck was broken.”

His passenger, en route to Peterborough, got free quickly but Mr Salter just managed to scramble out of the taxi and onto the roof to await rescue.

His wife Mandy, 45, said “We got a bit stressed after it was reported that no one was hurt. Rescuers had to immobilise Dennis and there was a fear at one time of him being paralysed.”

Mr Salter was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kings Lynn and at one stage it was thought a transfer to Addenbroke’s Hospital, Cambridge, would be necessary.

“Luckily Dennis didn’t have to be transferred and he was released from hospital yesterday,” his wife said.

“Doctors said he is very lucky to be alive.”

Mr Salter, who runs Salters Private Hire from Leverington, has a life time experience of driving, formerly driving a double decker bus before starting with taxis 20 years ago.

“It’s too early to say whether he will return to driving,” said Mandy. “At the moment I’m just keen to put the record straight about the fact that he was injured”.

The accident happened at around 7am last Wednesday when fire crews placed an inflatable mud path used in snow and mountain rescues to lead Mr Salter to safety.