A CREWMAN was airlifted to hospital by a helicopter from RAF Wattisham early today, after he fell down stairs and suffered chest injuries.His colleagues called the coastguard at Great Yarmouth, amid fears the 61-year-old man could have punctured his lung.
By Tracey Sparling
A CREWMAN was airlifted to hospital by a helicopter from RAF Wattisham early today, after he fell down stairs and suffered chest injuries.
His colleagues called the coastguard at Great Yarmouth, amid fears the 61-year-old man could have punctured his lung.
The accident happened at 1.50am, on board the Putford Athena, a support vessel for an oil rig, which was 20 miles off the coast at Cromer.
A spokeswoman for the coastguard said staff telephoned a doctor from the Queen Alexander Hospital in Portsmouth, and he advised hospital treatment was necessary.
"He had fallen in the engine-room and damaged his rib cage and they thought he might have punctured a lung – he had problems breathing," she said.
"We got medical advice and sent a helicopter out for him."
The crew from RAF Wattisham took the injured man to the James Paget Hospital, in Gorleston.
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