A MAN was airlifted to hospital after being found unconcious on board a tall ship and rescued by the RNLI.

The Hoylake RNLI Lifeboat was requested at around 11.40pm yesterday (Monday) following reports of an unconscious casualty on board a tall ship in Liverpool Bay.

Within 30 minutes the lifeboat RNLB 'Edmund Hawthorn Micklewood' was on scene.

Two lifeboat crew members were transferred onto the tall ship and the crew established an airway to the casualty, who was then transferred to the lifeboat.

A UK Coastguard Rescue helicopter arrived on scene shortly after and lowered its paramedic onto the lifeboat.

The man was then airlifted into the helicopter and taken to Aintree Hospital.