Company director crushed to death by his own 29ft yacht after it fell on him in dockyard

A yachtsman has been crushed to death by his own boat which fell on him while he worked on it at a yacht club.

The 56-year-old man was carrying out general repairs beneath the 29ft sailing yacht when it suddenly toppled over on to him.

He was found under the half-a-ton wooden vessel and although ambulance paramedics tried to save him, he was pronounced dead at the Weymouth Sailing Club in Dorset.

Members there said the victim, thought to be a company director, had joined the club a year ago after moving to the area.

He lived close to the sailing club and took his boat out of the harbour last week to carry out two weeks of maintenance to it.



Both Dorset Police and the Health and Safety Executive have launched investigations into the accident that happened at about 12.30pm yesterday.

Euan NcNair, commodore of Weymouth Sailing Club, said: "It is with much regret that I can confirm that there was a serious accident at Weymouth Sailing Club involving a boat in storage ashore and a single person who unfortunately died at the scene.

"It was a 29ft sailing boat that fell on him and it wasn't moving at the time.

"The boat was out for two weeks maintenance in which it was given a general clean up, and a few minor repairs. My understanding is that it wasn't being moved.



"The man in question was a full member of the sailing club and he joined last summer

"He was coming up to a year of membership and it's tragic what has now happened

"Everybody is very shocked, it's an extremely sad occasion for us and our thoughts go out to his relatives.

"The Health and Safety Executive is investigating and the yard is effectively shut down."

Mr McNair confirmed it was the man's own yacht which crushed him.

The boat involved is thought to be a Westerly GK29 sailing yacht and is over 30 years old.

A Dorset police spokesman said: "At 12.43pm on Monday Dorset police was informed by the ambulance service of an incident in Weymouth.

"It was reported that a boat had fallen onto a man."

The Health and Safety Executive has been notified and an investigation into the circumstances of the incident is underway.

A police cordon has been put up around the scene.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said it had been informed of the fatality and was working with police to establish what happened.

An HSE spokesman, added: "HSE is aware of an incident at a boat yard in Weymouth and inspectors will be attending the site along with police to commence a joint investigation."


A spokesman for South Western Ambulance Service, added: "We were called at 12.30pm.

"We attended with a helicopter, an ambulance, an operations officer and a rapid response vehicle."