A teenage crewman who had to have his left hand amputated after it became trapped while he was operating a winch was not trained to use it, a report has found.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has issued several recommendations in a report into the incident which happened one mile south-east of Wiay Island in the outer Hebrides on November 19 2013.
The accident on the scallop dredger Wanderer II happened after the 18-year-old junior deckhand went to help the relief skipper, who had been tipping the starboard dredges alone using the trawl winch's starboard whipping drum.
He was pushing against the direction of the rotating drum when his glove and hand became trapped between the rope and the drum.
The report said it was not clear whether the relief skipper asked the junior deckhand to go to the winch, or the junior deckhand told the relief skipper he was going to the winch, to lift dredge number five.
It added: "The junior deckhand had gone to the assistance of the relief skipper, who had been tipping the starboard dredges alone using the trawl winch's starboard whipping drum.
"The junior deckhand used over three full turns around the whipping drum and was then attempting to surge the tipping rope by pushing against the direction of drum rotation when his hand became trapped."
The injured teenager was initially taken to Uist and Barra Hospital and then airlifted to Glasgow Royal Infirmary where surgeons were not able to save his left hand.
The MAIB investigation found that the injured man was untrained in the use of whipping drums and that the vessel's owner, who was also the boat's regular skipper, had not fully informed the relief skipper about the crew's experience and competency.
The investigation also concluded that there is a lack of specific guidance or advice on the safe operation of deck machinery used on fishing vessels.
It has issued recommendations to Wanderer II's owner aimed at further improving the safety of winch operations on board.
The MAIB has also made recommendations to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Fishing Industry Safety Group designed to improve guidance on the safe operation of winches and other deck machinery.
The vessel's owner has made a number of modifications to the vessel since the accident.
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