An elderly man is lucky to be alive after spending almost 24 hours trapped in mud after a fall into a swamp yesterday.

The man, believed to be in his 60s or 70s, was rescued this morning after falling several metres onto rocks and mud in Whau River, Glendene in West Auckland around 11am yesterday.

Glen Eden station officer Terry Batt said the man had fallen around 2.5 metres onto rocks and mud when a guard rail on a jetty which led to his boat collapsed.

"He was feeling a bit giddy and leant on the hand rail and it gave way," he said.

Emergency services arrived at around 9.30am today after a neighbour heard the man's calls for help. He was freed around 10am.

The man suffered multiple injuries, including to his leg, and was found in the advanced stages of shock and was hypothermic, Phillips said.

He was taken to North Shore Hospital in a moderate to minor condition.

"He was visibly shaken, like quite shaky, so probably a bit hypothermic from the cold and the fact that he was in a wet area, like when the tide's come in, he would've got wet where he was which makes your hypothermia come on a lot faster," Henderson senior fire station officer Tony Buckwell said.

The man was found around six metres away from a ramp which lead to what was believed to be his boat.

Buckwell described the ramp as slippery and coated in slime.

"It is very slippery; I mean we were very conscious when we were there. We actually used ladders and stuff to get down to his location," he said.

It appeared the man had tried to drag himself out but had given up through the pain, he said.

The man couldn't move himself so had to be placed in a stretcher and into a basket in order for emergency services to get him out.

He had a sore leg and neck but was conscious and coherent and could speak with his rescuers, he said.