Gosport community rallies to support injured boy, 11, who jumped from roof

The air ambulance was called after an 11-year-old boy was injured in Gosport last night Picture: UKNIP Jason Kay

The youngster is believed to have been dared to jump 20ft off a building at St Vincent College on to a garage by a friend at 7.30pm yesterday.

He sustained serious arm and wrist injuries in the accident and was taken to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham after residents of St John’s Square called for an ambulance.

Trudy Stock, a friend of the boy’s mum Emma Clack, told The News: ‘He was with a bunch of friends over by the college and one of them dared him to make the jump.

‘It seems like he fell awkwardly on the roof of the smaller building, fracturing both an arm and a wrist.

‘He came back to the square and suddenly loads of adults and kids were out there, all coming to his aid.

‘You could see he was in a lot of pain and everybody just wanted to make sure he was okay.’

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance was called along with a rapid-response vehicle.

The boy, who managed to walk back to the square, did not get in the air ambulance, which landed on the nearby St Vincent College playing fields in Forton Road. He was taken to hospital by road.

The boy had surgery on his arm and wrist this morning after staying in hospital overnight, and is due to return home tonight.

Ms Stock added: ‘I’m so relieved that it sounds like he is going to be okay. He’s such a lovely boy and everybody was so worried when it happened.

‘The paramedics kept telling us all to make room for them as there was so many of us trying to help him.’

A spokeswoman from South Central Ambulance Service said: ‘We were called at 8pm to reports that a patient had fallen off a roof. We sent a rapid-response vehicle, the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance and an air ambulance crew.

‘One patient had their injuries assessed and treated at the scene, before being taken by land ambulance to hospital.’

St Vincent College principal Matt Atkinson said the college’s caretaker was on site to assist the crews and that a full review will now take place into the incident.

He said: ‘We made sure the caretaker was at the college to enable the air ambulance to do its job.

‘Apparently the boy was climbing on the roof of the art block at some time between 7pm and 8pm when the college was open.

‘He fell and hurt himself and managed to get back to St John’s Square.

‘We will now carry out a full health and safety review, and we hope he has a speedy recovery.’