A 69-year-old surfer has been seriously injured while surfing at Playa del Águila, near El Cotillo in Fuerteventura. The accident happened at around 10.30am on Wednesday, prompting a large emergency response after 112 received a call for help.

Beach lifeguards were the first to assist the man before medical teams arrived. He had suffered serious injuries and needed to be stabilised at the scene before he could be transferred to hospital.

Medical helicopter called in

Because of the seriousness of his injuries, the Canary Islands Emergency Service sent a medical helicopter to the beach

Doctors and nurses from the Corralejo health centre were also called to assist, together with an ambulance crew.

Once the surfer was stable enough to be moved, he was taken by helicopter from Fuerteventura to the University Hospital Insular in Gran Canaria for specialist treatment.

Reports citing the emergency services said he had suffered serious injuries to his head and back.

No further information has been released about exactly how the surfer was injured or his condition following the helicopter transfer.

Playa del Águila is on Fuerteventura's north-west coast, close to El Cotillo, an area particularly popular with surfers and other water-sports enthusiasts.