A man had to be taken to hospital after he fell from the top of a sail - and landed on top of the boat's owner.

The Medway Coastguard team, paramedics and members of the Sheerness Inshore Lifeboat crew were called to Gillingham Marina, where the boat was moored a short way out from the berth, on Sunday.

It is understood the man, who was in his 20s, had been repairing the sail on the craft when he fell about 10 to 15ft back onto the boat but his fall was cushioned by the boat owner who was below him.

The owner suffered bruising to his arm and did not need hospital treatment but the man who fell suffered chest pain.

He was put on a long board and taken to Medway Maritime Hospital, in Gillingham.

A spokesman for South East Coast Ambulance Service said: “Ambulance crews attended the scene following reports a man had suffered a fall on a boat offshore at approximately 1.20pm.

"The Coastguard was also at the scene.

“The man, aged approximately in his 20s, was assessed and treated for chest pain before being taken as a priority to Medway Maritime Hospital.”