The 67-year-old man fell down a flight of stairs on board the vessel, hitting his head

A man, who suffered a head injury after slipping and falling down a flight of stairs on board a pleasure cruise, was evacuated from the vessel yesterday afternoon (20 August) by members of the Gosport & Fareham Inshore Rescue Service (GAFIRS).

The vessel, which had left Portsmouth and was bound for Southampton, was passing Gilkicker Point when the alarm was raised.

The boat’s crew contacted the UK Coastguard which scrambled the crew of the GAFIRS lifeboat just after 4.20pm.

Once the vessel had been located, two crewmen were put on board the boat to assess the 67-year-old man.

“My crew assessed the gentlemen who was complaining of head and neck pain. They administered oxygen and immobilised his neck as a precautionary measure,” explained GAFIRS senior helm, Brian Pack.

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“My crew decided the safest way to get the casualty into the hands of the ambulance service was to divert the vessel to Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The lifeboat escorted the vessel into the harbour while my crew continued to monitor the casualty,” he added.

An ambulance crew met the GAFIRS lifeboat and the boat at Trinity Landings, and the crews worked together to evacuate the casualty.

He was taken to St Mary’s Hospital in Newport for further treatment.

The incident was the second medical job GAFIRS lifeboat crews attended in the last five days.

On Wednesday afternoon (August 16), the lifeboat was tasked to assist a crewman who had seriously injured his finger while mooring a motorboat in Portsmouth Harbour.

Lifeboat crews administered first aid, evacuated the casualty to the lifeboat and placed him in the care of ambulance crews at Camber Dock, Old Portsmouth.