A LITHUANIAN FISHERMAN, 52, is being treated at Tralee General Hospital in Co Kerry for serious injuries he sustained in an incident aboard his fishing boat earlier today.

The man, who has severe chest injuries, was airlifted by the Shannon-based helicopter from British fishing boat, the Achieve, at about 4.30 this afternoon.

A spokesperson for the Coast Guard told TheJournal.ie that the man was treated by a registrar from Cork University Hospital A&E department on the boat itself, and then on the helicopter while he was being transported to hospital.

The registrar had travelled out to attend the rescue, along with the standard team of trained paramedics who staff emergency Coast Guard airlifts.

The Air Corps Casa aircraft provided top-cover for the helicopter during this incident.

For the Coast Guard it was their fourth medical evacuation of the week, and the second in just 24 hours from a fishing vessel off the Irish coast.

It comes just three days after a major operation on Monday night when 21 people had to be rescued after their yacht overturned off the Cork coast.

They were taking part in the Fastnet race.

Rescue boats found 16 members of the crew clinging to the upturned keel of the ‘Rambler 100′ €20 million yacht – the other five were rescued from open water.

One of the sailors was airlifted to Tralee General Hospital in Co Kerry, where she is recovering from severe hypothermia.

Yesterday, the Shannon-based helicopter evacuated an injured crew member from fishing boat Nuvo Jundino, also off the Blasket Islands.

While on Tuesday, the Coast Guard rescued five women from the Aran Islands.