Accidental death ruling on engineer in horror fall from billionaire's yacht

Jacob Nicol, 24, was initially being treated at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, before he was moved to Hunters Moor Neurological Rehabilitation Centre in Birmingham, then to Birmingham Heartlands Hospital.

The marine engineer died at the Marie Curie hospice in Solihull on June 7 this year.

An inquest at Birmingham Coroner’s Court heard he died of bronchial pneumonia brought on by his immobility.

Assistant coroner Emma Brown said: “There were no visible external injuries to the head, though the brain appeared to be small.

“The cause of death was a chest infection attributed to his immobility caused by the accident which had led to an hypoxic brain injury.”

Recording a ruling of accidental death, Ms Brown offered her condolences to Mr Nichol’s family.

His sister Jenade Moon, of Madeley, said: "The inquest was hard to bear but we got through it.

"It’s not going to bring him back but the verdict was what we expected.

“The cause of death was a chest infection attributed to his immobility caused by the accident which had led to an hypoxic brain injury.

"We miss him dearly and will ensure his name echoes throughout the yachting industry to highlight that things must change."

Jacob suffered a fractured skull after falling into the sea as he cleaned the Kibo yacht, owned by billionaire Alexander Mamut, near the Majorcan port of Puerto Portals on May 3, 2015.

He had spent nine months working as a third assistant engineer on the yacht before the accident, which is understood to have happened after the fender hook he was rigged to gave way.

His family say he was hit on the head by the 20 kilo hook and was under the water for several minutes. He was 100ft from the vessel when he was rescued by its captain.

Jacob was in a coma for 10 days at Son Espases Hospital in the Majorcan capital Palma before being repatriated to Shropshire to be close to his family.