A Canadian sailor can thank his American counterparts for getting him safely to hospital after he was injured on board a ship near Seattle, Wash., Friday morning.

The U.S. Coast Guard says the man hurt his head during a fall on board the HMCS Nanaimo as it sailed near Whidbey Island in Puget Sound..

A helicopter conducting training exercises nearby lifted the man off the deck in a basket. The Canadian sailor was taken to a medical centre before he was driven to an American hospital to get treatment.

His condition is unknown.