A CHESHIRE businessman, who had his finger severed whilst on a corporate sailing trip, has secured a significant payout.

Brian Hay from Appleton, a director of a cable manufacturing business, was invited by one of his company’s suppliers for an afternoon of sailing in the Solent.

Towards the end of the afternoon, Hay was invited to take the port wheel and after about five minutes the skipper took control of the boat and asked Hay and other guests at the stern to cross over to the other side of the boat.

The boat lurched and Hay grabbed the mainsheet rope to the boom. The rope then snatched Hay’s fingers through a pulley, cutting off the top part of the right forefinger at the first joint and severely cutting and bruising the second finger.

Hay was taken to hospital and the bone in his finger had to be cut back and flesh sewn at the end forming a shortened digit.

Martin Coyne, managing partner at Manchester law firm Betesh Fox who acted for Hay, says: “This type of unfortunate incident is all too common in the marine industry. There are lots of companies that offer sailing experiences but too many of them don’t take adequate health and safely measures or risk assessments. This accident was entirely avoidable and it is only fair and right that my client received compensation for the pain endured and the long term effects of the accident.”

Hay was not willing to disclose the amount of compensation he received.