Police officer injured in high speed boat chase

A local police officer sustained an impact spinal injury during a high speed pursuit in rough seas on Sunday afternoon.

The incident happened when a Royal Gibraltar Police vessel hit a large wave while chasing a suspicious rigid-hulled inflatable boat in British waters on the west side of the Rock.

The chase was discontinued as a result of the injury and the suspect RHIB fled south toward the Strait of Gibraltar.

The officer received medical treatment for a suspected fractured vertebrae and is recovering well, a police spokesman confirmed in response to Chronicle questions.

No other crew members on the police vessel were injured during the chase.

The suspect vessel was of a type commonly used by smugglers to ferry drugs from Morocco to Spain.

It was not carrying any illegal cargo at the time of the incident but was intercepted because RHIBs of this type are banned in Gibraltar.

Pic by DM Parody