A French fisherman has been aided by the RNLI after suffering a chest injury on Friday night.

Falmouth Coastguard requested the launch of the all weather lifeboat just after 8.30pm on Friday to carry out a medical assessment and evacuation of a fisherman who had suffered a chest injury on board the 25 metre French Fishing Vessel Cayman.

The vessel had been fishing in the English Channel when the man was hit by a trawl wire and thrown against the gunwale with considerable force, and the after contacting coastguards the crew headed to Falmouth Bay before meeting the lifeboat five miles south-east of Falmouth.

Upon arrival a lifeboat crewmember was placed on board the fishing vessel with first aid items including oxygen, to assess the casualty’s condition and to administer casualty care.  

The RNLI said: "In view of the prevailing weather conditions it was decided it would be too dangerous to transfer the casualty in the bay so the lifeboat escorted the vessel towards the harbour entrance.

"At 10.06pm as both vessels were approaching Black Rock additional oxygen was requested and this was transferred across to the vessel.

"The fishing boat was taken to the northern arm of the docks where it was tied up alongside to allow the casualty to be safely transferred to the lifeboat in a stretcher."

The lifeboat returned to its station where the casualty was handed to paramedics and taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital for treatment.

The work of the RNLI crew was made a little more difficult due to the crew on the fishing boat speaking only limited English, so the coastguard were communicating with the vessel through the French coastguard.