Newsmaker

Stones guitarist falls off tree, injuring head

(AP)
Updated: 2006-04-30 10:23

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, who fell out of a palm tree and was later involved in a jet ski crash while vacationing in Fiji, has been airlifted to a hospital in New Zealand, local media reported Sunday.

Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones sits in a bus upon his arrival at the Pudong international airport in Shanghai, China, April 6, 2006. Richards suffered a concussion while on vacation in Fiji and is recovering, a spokeswoman said on Saturday. [Reuters]

"Earlier this week Rolling Stone Keith Richards suffered a mild concussion while on holiday in Fiji," Fran Curtis, a spokeswoman for the veteran rock band, said in a statement. "Following treatment locally and as a precautionary measure he flew to a hospital accompanied by his wife Patti for observation."

No further details on the 62-year-old rocker's condition were immediately available.

According to New Zealand's Sunday Star-Times, the palm tree plunge left Richards with a serious headache, but he still had the energy to jump on a jet ski -- and get into another accident.

The paper provided no details on the jetski crash, but quoted Suva Private Hospital spokesman Dr. Uzzel Kanti Dhar as saying that Richards was admitted to the hospital, in the Fijian capital, last Thursday, the day of his fall from the coconut palm.

He was reportedly airlifted to Auckland's Ascot Hospital later that day, but duty manager Steve Kirby refused to confirm early Sunday that Richards was a patient there, citing the hospital's privacy policy.

Richards and his wife had been staying at the exclusive Wakaya Club resort, which occupies a small palm-fringed Fijian island, when the reported palm tree and jetski mishaps happened.

Salesi Finau of the resort told The Associated Press that Richards and his wife recently stayed at the resort for about a week, but would not say when they left.

Finau also refused to comment on the reports that Richards had an accident.

"I am sorry, I do not have any comment on that," he said.

The Rolling Stones played a concert in Wellington, New Zealand, on April 18 as part of their "A Bigger Bang" world tour.

According to the band's Web site, the Stones' next scheduled concert is at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, followed by 34 more dates across Europe.