There was no paramedic on board the ambulance which went to the aid of a six year-old boy critically injured in a speedboat crash, a newspaper has reported.
Stuart Wilson from Rathfriland remains critically ill with serious head injuries at the Royal Victoria hospital in Belfast after being hit by speedboat on Monday.
A doctor who treated Stuart at the scene of the accident on Cranfield Beach in Co Down said there was no paramedic in the ambulance that rushed him to hospital.
Dr Lorraine McDermott told The Newsletter she got on board the ambulance to continue working on the boy, but was "alarmed" that a paramedic had not been sent to the incident.
John McPoland, a spokesperson for the Ambulance Service, confirmed the situation but said an extra emergency technician had been providing cover.
"The crew that attended was two emergency medical technicians but there was no paramedic available for that crew," he said.
"It could be that there was some kind of short term sick leave or short term emergency leave granted to a paramedic.
"The option left to the Ambulance Service was either to stand the crew down and leave the area not covered, or to bring in another emergency technician to make sure cover is maintained in the Kilkeel area."
Stuart - who was due to return to primary school this week - had been spending the summer holidays in the area with his family in a caravan.
Police have appealed for anyone who witnessed the accident to come forward.
© UTV News