A WOMAN had to be airlifted to hospital after suffering a head injury onboard a boat in the Solent.

The 24-year-old casualty suffered the blow to her skull while on a 40ft vessel close to the Isle of White.

Crews from Gosport & Fareham Inshore Rescue Service (GAFIRS) were alerted at 1.13pm today and arrived to help the woman who had struck her head after slipping down in to hatchway and hitting her head when the vessel was close to Ryde Middle.

They took her by boat to the mainland at Stokes Bay where she was airlifted to hospital.

GAFIRS coxswain Peter Brown said: “When we arrived we placed a lifeboat crewman on board the vessel and the casualty was assessed. She was conscious but had taken a nasty hit to her head.

“We decided to evacuate the casualty from the vessel onto our lifeboat and recovered her by lifeboat to our station where additional medical care was immediately available.”

Due to concerns over the casualty’s injuries and deteriorating condition, UK Coastguard tasked the rescue helicopter, Coastguard 104, from its base at Lee-on-the-Solent to assist with evacuation to hospital.

GAFIRS medical coordinator Emma Neal said: “Due to the seriousness of the casualty’s condition it was decided that an emergency transfer via the Coastguard helicopter was the most appropriate response.”

GAFIRS worked with the Coastguard Hill Head Mobile Rescue unit and Hampshire police to clear a helicopter landing site on the fields next to Gosport Lifeboat Station. The helicopter’s paramedic team assessed the casualty and subsequently evacuated her to Southampton General Hospital for further medical treatment.