Teenage boy remains in serious condition following boating accident

It is understood that a boom may have swung across the deck of the boat and struck the boy in the head.

The alarm was raised around 11.25am yesterday when the boy was injured while on board a sailing boat in Schull, West Cork.

A National Ambulance Service ambulance rushed to the scene where an advanced paramedic treated the boy on shore.

However, the boy's condition deteriorated and medics were so concerned that a decision was made to airlift him to hospital as quickly as possible.

Valentia Coast Guard, which coordinated the operation, said the Shannon-based Rescue 115 helicopter, which is closer, was already tasked on a medevac on Inis Mór, the Aran Islands, so Waterford-based Rescue 117 was tasked.

Separately in Dublin, a man in his 40's was taken to hospital with serious head injuries after a kite-surfing accident off the coast of Sutton.

The Irish Coastguard are advising people to be extra careful on the water.

Shane Dillon from the Coastguard has this advice.

"If anyone is getting involved with activities on the water, they should check out the safetyonthewater.ie website.

"Involve the local rescue organisation and advise what they intend to do.

"If you're going out on a leisure craft on a sea passage, you should call the local coastguard and given them a traffic report on your intended route and the amount of people on your vessel."