Fisherman dies from head injury at sea

By Globe Staff

A fisherman died on Thursday from a head injury he suffered on a boat 10 miles off the coast of Plymouth, according to the Coast Guard.

A piece of deck gear struck the fisherman in the head while he was on a 40-foot boat off Gurnet Point. The Coast Guard responded to a distress call at 3 p.m., sending two helicopters and a rescue boat.

The fisherman was hoisted aboard a Jayhawk helicopter at 3:48 p.m. and taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he later died. The Coast Guard did not release the name of the fisherman or his vessel pending the notification of his next of kin.

"Our thoughts go out to the man's family and friends," said Chief Petty Officer Gerald Welton in a statement. "As lifesavers, the loss of a life is always a hard thing to accept."