A HAMPSHIRE man was evacuated from a pleasure cruise after suffering head injuries.

The 67-year-old man slipped and fell down a flight of stairs on the ferry, which was heading to Southampton, hitting his head.

The ferry was passing Gilkickier Point when the alarm was raised, and Gosport & Fareham Inshore Rescue Service (GAFIRS) was tasked to assist by UK Coastguard.

Lifeboat crews were launched at around 4.20pm yesterday, reaching the ferry within minutes.

GAFIRS senior helm Brian Pack said: “My crew assessed the gentleman who was complaining of head and neck pains. They had administered oxygen and immobilised his neck as a precautionary measure.

“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.”

An ambulance crew met GAFIRS lifeboat and the ferry at Trinity Landings and the crews worked together to evacuate the casualty. He was taken to St Mary’s Hospital for further treatment.

The incident was the second medical job GAFIRS Lifeboat crews attended this week. 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.

The incidents were the 74th and 75th of the year for GAFIRS, and independent lifeboat station based at Stokes Bay, Gosport.