Company director, 56, was crushed to death beneath his half-ton yacht while painting hull when supporting props gave way after he incorrectly lowered them, inquest hears

• Kevin Keeler, 56, died after being crushed beneath his yacht at boat yard
• Half ton vessel came off its frame after he adjusted the support props
• Electronics engineer had been beneath 29ft boat painting its hull 
• He suffered broken ribs and a fractured spine and sternum and died at scene 

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A sailor was crushed to death under his own boat while he was painting its hull, an inquest heard.

Kevin Keeler, 56, was beneath the 29ft yacht at Weymouth Sailing Club in Dorset when a metal support it was resting on gave way, causing it to fall on him.

He sustained ‘devastating’ injuries from the half-a-ton vessel including multiple broken ribs and a fractured spine and sternum.

Stunned witnesses rushed to help but he passed out before paramedics arrived. 

He was given CPR but could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene at Weymouth Sailing Club in Dorset.

Kevin Keeler, 56, pictured with partner Tatiana Saltykova, died after being crushed beneath his half-ton yacht while painting its hull

The 29ft vessel, pictured at Weymouth Sailing Club in Weymouth, Dorset, came off its cradle frame after Mr Keeler adjusted the support props to make it easier to paint, an inquest heard

The yacht, a Westerly GK29 called the Ginny Kwik, was bought by the couple in 2017 and they had sailed it previously in Weymouth Bay and the Solent

The inquest heard that Mr Keeler joined the club with his partner Tatiana Saltykova in the summer of 2017.

They bought the Westerly GK29 yacht, called the Ginny Kwik, together that Christmas and sailed it several times in the Solent and at Weymouth Bay.

It was lifted out of the water last March for two weeks of regular maintenance work.

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Since Mr Keeler didn’t own a cradle, a frame which holds the yacht in place, he borrowed one off fellow sailor Paul Elsom, a former welder who had built his own one and used it for 20 years.

Mr Keeler, an electronics engineer and company director, made it unstable after he lowered one of the cradle’s supporting props to allow him to paint the bottom of the hull.

Witness Frederick Raynor was sat on a nearby slipway with his father when he heard a ‘loud crash’.

Pictured is one of the support props that buckled after they were incorrectly lowered

Emergency services rushed to the scene, pictured, but Mr Keeler’s injuries were ‘devastating’ and he was pronounced dead by paramedics

He said: ‘My father and I were sat on the slipway drying our socks after working on his boat.

‘I heard a loud crash which came from behind me where a boat had been elevated on a cradle which sounded like a piece of wood falling.

‘I turned around and saw the boat falling in my direction towards the slipway.

‘I jumped out the way of it and as I was doing this I could hear a man’s shouts.

‘Once the boat had stabilised I went towards it and I could see the man lying on the ground near the boat on his left side.

‘I called 999 and started to speak to him. He told me his head and chest were hurting and to call an ambulance.

‘At first he seemed alert but after a few minutes his breathing became very laboured. By the time the paramedics arrived he couldn’t speak at all.’

The accident took place in the sailing club’s dry dock at about 12.30pm on April 16 last year.

Mr Keeler was pronounced dead shortly after 1pm.

The inquest heard the support cradle was not defective and had previously been used without any issues by its owner Paul Elsom

Mr Elsom had used the steel frame to support his boat, which was a similar size and weight to the Ginny Kwik, the previous winter without any issues, the inquest heard.

An expert witness who inspected the cradle after the accident, told the inquest it was ‘fit for purpose’.

A post mortem examination revealed Mr Keeler died of ‘crush’ injuries to his thorax and sternum.

Dorset assistant coroner Richard Middleton recorded a verdict of accidental death at the inquest held in Bournemouth.

He said: ‘For whatever reason Kevin chose to lower each prop independently of others but without providing any additional support in that particular area.

‘In doing so he has compromised the stability of the boat leading to it falling out off the cradle itself.

Weymouth Sailing Club paid tribute to Mr Keeler and said he was missed by the community

‘The cradle has been examined and found to have been fit for purpose but it was lowering the props without providing additional support which was the problem.

‘I’m satisfied that lowering one of the supports of the frame in order to paint that particular part of the hull is what led to Kevin’s death.’

Ms Saltykova, paying tribute to Mr Keeler shortly after his death, said: ‘Kevin was passionate about sailing and a well-loved member of the Weymouth sailing community.

‘He loved his children. He was my best friend and a wonderful partner, I will miss him dearly.’

Stephen Dadds, commodore at Weymouth Sailing Club, said: ‘We have been deeply saddened by Kevin’s death and send our condolences to his family and Tatiana.

‘We have lost a good member of the club and he is missed by the whole sailing community.’

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