A 17-YEAR-OLD boy, who hit his head when his dinghy capsized, was saved by rescuers on Saturday.
Volunteer lifeboat crews from Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service (GAFIRS) were returning from an exercise in Cowes when they were flagged down by a passing sailor.
The sailor alerted crews of the service’s inshore lifeboat to a fellow seamen who had fallen out of his sailing vessel and hit his head.
Gosport ILB coxswain Chris Newbrook said: "The casualty was located around a mile south west of our station in Stokes Bay where he was clinging to the underside of his boat.
"He was clearly in shock, but had no blood loss from the injury.
"After assessment we deemed it necessary to evacuate the male and ask for Gosport lifeboat to attend the incident too as the capsized dinghy was drifting near the north channel shipping lane."
The man was taken back to the station in Lifeboat Lane, Gosport.
"We beached the inshore lifeboat and the GAFIRS medical team treated the concussed male in the lifeboat station’s medical room," added Mr Newbrook.
South Central Ambulance Service and the Coastguard’s Hillhead Mobile unit also attended the incident.
The man was taken to Queen Alexander Hospital, Cosham, for further treatment and his dinghy was returned to Stokes Bay Sailing Club.