Gravesend lifeboat crews were called in an attempt to save an unconscious man - who later died aboard a cargo ship in Essex.

The RNLI lifeboat launched about 10.30am yesterday (January 5) after London Coastguard received a report that a Russian crewman was unconscious and had stopped breathing aboard the MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) Sariska.

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Volunteer Tony Jenkins from Gravesend RNLI said: "When we arrived on the scene we saw the man had collapsed on the deck at the back of the ship and his colleagues were already carrying out chest compressions on him.

"We then attached a defibrillator to the casualty."

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Crews from the ship and the lifeboat administered CPR for around 40 minutes.

Once the container ship had docked, the East of England Ambulance service including its HART (Hazardous Area Response Team), offered further assistance.

Care was then handed over to the ambulance crews and they spent another 30 minutes trying to save the man’s life.

Sadly, he could not be saved.