The skipper of a yacht sailing off the Essex coast had to be airlifted to hospital after he was hit on the head by part of the boat.

The man in his 50s was leading a sailing trip with a crew of four holidaymakers when the heavy boom of the vessel swung into him, cutting his head.

Fearing he could have been concussed, his fellow sailors radioed the coastguard for help. A lifeboat from West Mersea and an RAF Sea King rescue helicopter from Wattisham Airfield were scrambled, both reaching the boat minutes later.

The skipper was winched off the 40ft yacht, called the Kestrel, and taken to Colchester General Hospital for treatment.

He was later discharged and planned to return to the boat to continue the trip.

The Kestrel had been escorted from the mouth of the River Colne to West Mersea by lifeboat after the accident because the crew did not have the experience to sail without their captain.

The yacht and the skipper are from Lancing, Sussex, where the sailing holiday started. Yesterday's (Tuesday's) accident happened at about 4pm as the crew sailed from Harwich to Bradwell on one of the legs of their journey.

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