A local man who suffered severe head injuries when he fell from a second-floor porch Thursday afternoon was still listed in critical condition this morning at Mass General Hospital in Boston, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Christopher Tremblay, 27, of 45 Blaney St., Swampscott, was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Boston with severe head and neck injuries shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday.

Although local police and fire units intially called for a MedFlight helicopter to take Tremblay to the hospital, they canceled the request when they learned that it would take approximately 25 minutes for it to arrive, an officer on scene said.

Tremblay and a friend were reportedly trying to move a small brown leather couch off of the apartment building's dilapidated second-floor porch when the railing gave way. 

"We rested the couch on the railing and everything just fell and broke," Tremblay's friend said on scene, "and he fell after it."

Tremblay's friend said they were moving the couch because Tremblay's landlord said the porch was too unsafe to hold it and noted that Tremblay appeared to land on the concerte in an awkward way and was having trouble breathing when paramedics arrived.

The fall was approximately 15 feet, according to police.

Tremblay was listed in critical condition as of 5:30 a.m. Friday.

Swampscott Patch will be posting additional information as it becomes available.