A FARMER died when a friend's boat accidentally fell on him during repairs, an inquest heard.

Terence Tudor Ridout was trapped and killed when a 2.5 tonne boat slid onto him in a farm barn.

West Dorset coroner Michael Johnston heard the 58-year-old did not suffer any fractures in the incident last February.

But pathologist Dr Khaled Jabba said the victim may have died because the weight of the boat compressed his heart and lungs, restricting oxygen to his vital organs.

The inquest heard the accident happened in a barn at Mr Ridout's Bushes Farm in Stourpaine, where he was working with friend and boat owner Michael Samways, 60, of Alexandra Street, Blandford.

Mr Samways told how the pair propped the Sunseeker Mexico 24 boat on rollers using a forklift truck at the barn where the vessel was stored.

Mr Samways said that after turning away for a few moments, he heard a crunching sound and saw the boat sliding from its rollers.

"I tried to stop it moving but it was impossible," he said.

"Then I looked down towards the front of the boat and could see Terry's legs.

"He was lying face down - there was no noise or movement.

"When I saw him, he was very blue in the face."

Mr Samways said he tried to pull Mr Ridout - who weighed 20 stone 5lbs - from under the boat before shouting to a neighbour to get help.

Dr Jabba, who carried out the most mortem, said there were no fractures or serious internal injuries.

He said: "It is my opinion that his death was all related to the accident.

"He might have got frightened with the boat falling on him and also the pressure on his body was enough to restrict the heart."

He said Mr Ridout died from acute myocardial ischaemia (lack of blood to the heart muscle).

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr Johnston described the victim as a fit man, said the boat had moved, trapping Mr Ridout without crushing him.

The compression, coupled with the shock, had caused the death, he added.

First published: May 9