Woman airlifted from fort after head injury

A coastguard rescue helicopter was deployed to Spitbank Fort this morning to evacuate the woman, who had tripped and hit her head.

Gosport & Fareham Inshore Rescue Service (Gafirs) assisted in the evacuation, winching the woman up to the helicopter.

They were launched to assist at the fort, located off the coast of Southsea, at around 8.40am.

Gafirs’ coxswain Brian Pack said: ‘I placed four of my crew members on the fort to assist with the medical care of the casualty.

‘After assessment she was placed in the helicopter’s basket stretcher and winched up to be taken as quickly as possible to hospital.’

The coastguard rescue helicopter then transported the woman for treatment at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham.

Gosport’s independent lifeboat, the Joan Dora Fuller, transferred the casualty’s husband back to shore at Stokes Bay in Gosport, where the service used its mobile unit to take him to the hospital.

It is estimated that the operation lasted for a total of approximately two hours, and was Gafirs’ 83rd of the year.