A man was airlifted to hospital after suffering serious injuries in a fall while boating in a secluded part of the Broads today.

He suffered a suspected broken leg, broken shoulder and spinal injuries in the accident near Lowestoft, which was attended by coastguard, fire crews and paramedics.

The man, who was in his mid-40s, and aboard a boat named the Spitfire, was treated at the scene before the RAF rescue helicopter was called from RAF Wattisham and he was flown to the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston.

Lowestoft and Southwold Coastguard rescue teams were first alerted at 3.45pm to reports of an injured man on the broads near Oulton Dyke.

They attended with specialist fire service water rescue teams from Lowestoft South, RAF Rescue 125 and Gorleston inshore lifeboat team.

A coastguard spokesman said the injured man had been in an inaccessible part of the broads known as the Dutch Tea Gardens.

'Coastguards, fire service personnel and paramedics reached the casualty by boat and due to the potential nature of his injuries the decision was made to airlift him to hospital,' he said.

The alarm had been raised by another man on board the boat, which was described as a Broads cruiser.

'The gentleman was in a really serious amount of pain, so it was a case of stabilising him until we could get him flown to hospital,' added the spokesman, who said that the exact cause of the fall was not known.

'While the coastguard has responsibility for search and rescue on the broads, this is a great example of three emergency services working together in a difficult incident to help a casualty,' he said.

Members of the Lowestoft Coastguard Team were also asked to man the James Paget hospital landing site.