An elderly man has been hailed a hero after helping emergency services save a man from the River Shannon this afternoon.

The rescued man, in his late 30s, was seen entering the river near St Michael's Rowing Club at around 3.50pm.

Limerick City & County Fire and Rescue Service responded the scene shortly after the man was thrown a lifebouy by an elderly man who was passing by.

The fire service river boat found the man clinging to the lifebuoy before he was treated by paramedics at the scene and later transferred to University Hospital Limerick, where his condition is not believed to be life threatening.