A Centerport couple is recovering after fire and police personnel pulled them out of the mud in the Nissequogue River Monday.

The Smithtown Fire Department received the call that Kathy and Dennis Ferrari were stuck in their canoe around 5:15 p.m. They were about 150 yards from the shore and the tide was changing.

Firefighters descended on the scene and several got stuck in the mud. One had to be airlifted out.

?It?s the equivalent of rescuing two people out of a swamp in Florida,? Jeff Bressler, of the Smithtown Fire Department, says. ?The mud is heavy, it?s thick, it?s waist-deep.?

A hover craft brought in from West Islip finally made the rescue possible about three hours later. The Ferraris and a firefighter were taken to area hospitals to be treated for hypothermic exposure. All are in good condition.