A 620-foot merchant ship sailing from South Africa to the USA made an emergency diversion to Bermuda yesterday morning so that an injured crewman could be taken off for urgent medical attention.

The 39-year-old Ukrainian suffered a number of fractures after falling on the ship late on Sunday evening when it was 145 miles east of the Island.

A request was made to divert the Maltese-flagged ship Conqueror to Bermuda so that the crewman, who was believed to have gone into shock as a result of his injuries, could receive medical treatment.

The Conqueror sailed to the East End of the Island and arrived shortly after 9 a.m. yesterday where the injured man was transferred to a pilot vessel and taken ashore to be transported to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

The ship, carrying a cargo of metals, then set sail for its destination in North Carolina.