A former British soldier is suing for damages of more than £200,000 after he was seriously injured in a ‘work-place accident’ on board a luxury super yacht favoured by billionaires including tech genius Bill Gates, retail mogul Jeff Bezos and pop-star Beyonce.

Sam Gumble, 38, was struck by a high-pressure jet of water, smashing his shoulder, as he tried to escape from his cabin after an alarm suggested the vessel, which is longer than a football pitch, was sinking.

Mr Gumble, who served in the British Army and the French Foreign Legion before becoming a private security consultant, required corrective surgery to his shoulder and continues to suffer from pain, restricted movement and a lack of strength – conditions which restrict his work opportunities.

Now the former soldier from Essex, is suing his employers – Veritas International Consultancy – for compensation following the accident which occurred just two days after he flown to the Middle East to join the floating palace MS Lana.

Mr Gumble had been contracted to provide armed security on board the 107-metre long super yacht, which was sailing from Oman to Saudia Arabia in time for the Saudi Grand Prix.

The ship, which can be hired for £1.5 million a week, was at risk of highjack by Somali pirates who operate in the Gulf of Aden as it sailed around the Arabian peninsula to reach the motor race track in the city of Jeddah on the Red Sea.

However just hours after leaving port in Oman, an alarm sounded and when Mr Gumble opened his cabin door he saw water gushing under pressure from the hall ceiling.

Believing the ship was sinking he tried to escape but slipped in the ankle-deep water and fell underneath the jet of high-pressure water which pinned him down and battered his shoulder.

The 350-foot MS Lana is one of the biggest superyachts ever to be launched by Italian shipyard Benetti

The luxury vessel can cater for 14 guests in seven VIP cabins and is serviced by a crew of 33

The luxury vessel can cater for 14 guests in seven VIP cabins and is serviced by a crew of 33

Large sliding doors illuminate the dining room, which houses a huge table made of wood, leather and stainless steel

Large sliding doors illuminate the dining room, which houses a huge table made of wood, leather and stainless steel

Mr Gumble was able to free himself, but suffered severe injuries to his right shoulder, including a fracture dislocation, a massive rotator cuff tear and damage to a tendon, according to a claim that he has submitted to the High Court.

He also suffered severe bruising to his legs and body and is at risk of post-traumatic osteoarthritis and damage to bone issues.

The yacht MS Lana can cater for 14 guests in seven VIP cabins and is serviced by a crew of 33.

Tech genius Bill Gates chartered the superyacht for his 66th birthday in 2021. Retail mogul Jeff Bezos was among 50 guests who were helicoptered in the ship which was anchored off the Turkish mediterranean port of Fethiye.

In 2020 pop-star Beyonce celebrated her 38th birthday on board the super yacht cruising along the coast of Croatia with her husband Jay-Z and their children.

The yacht was originally owned by Russian oligarch Alexander Vershavsky and his now owned by Sheikh Suroor bin Mohammed al Nahyan, a senior member of the Abu Dhabi royal family.

Mr Gumble, from Waltham Abbey, Essex, spent four years in the British Army before joining the French Foreign Legion, and then turned to private security.

He contracted to work for a week with Veritas, a security business set up in 2004 by former members of UK special forces to provide high level security to individuals, companies and governments, and to protect superyachts from piracy and terrorism, he claims.

In 2020 pop-star Beyonce celebrated her 38th birthday on board the super yacht cruising along the coast of Croatia with her husband Jay-Z and their children

In 2020 pop-star Beyonce celebrated her 38th birthday on board the super yacht cruising along the coast of Croatia with her husband Jay-Z and their children

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates also chartered the superyacht for his 66th birthday in 2021

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates also chartered the superyacht for his 66th birthday in 2021

Retail mogul Jeff Bezos was among 50 guests who were helicoptered to the ship, anchored off the Turkish mediterranean port of Fethiye, for Mr Gates' birthday celebrations

Retail mogul Jeff Bezos was among 50 guests who were helicoptered to the ship, anchored off the Turkish mediterranean port of Fethiye, for Mr Gates’ birthday celebrations 

In his High Court case, he accuses Veritas of negligence in failing to give him any information about reasons for sounding the alarm, failing to ensure a safe evacuation route, or training on emergency drills, and to tell him whether to stay in his cabin, or in the corridor, or whether he should try to evacuate.

He also claims that Veritas also negligently failed to send a safety officer, failed to carry out a risk assessment, and allowed him to work in a hazardous location alongside colleagues who were unskilled and untrained in managing the risk of sounding the alarm and water jet.

The high-pressure jet of water originated from a burst pipe and was only stopped when the water supply was cut.

Veritas International Consultancy are expected to defend the claim. 

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk