A Yachtmaster instructor seriously injured by a handheld flare is reported to be in a stable condition. The 51-year-old man was rushed to hospital last week after a white handheld flare exploded in his hand and entered his abdomen. He suffered broken bones, burns and severe internal injuries that required 18 pints of blood.

The man’s wife and daughter are with him at the hospital, where he will undergo further surgery tonight. According to the vascular surgeon the internal bleeding is under control, but there is a long way to go yet.

The flare’s manufacturer, Pains Wessex, is recalling two batches of its White Collision Warning (MK7) Hand Flare, which the company says could malfunction with a risk of personal injury. The flares have been distributed in the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, Holland, France and Italy, and the lot numbers are 2045 and 2046. The flare is sold on its own and is also contained in the Collision Warn-Off Kit and the ORC RORC Distress Kit.

If you own a Pains Wessex white collision flare, please check its lot number, which is ink-jetted on the tube. If yours is from one of the above batches, please return it to the place of purchase. If this is not possible, call Pains Wessex, tel: 02392 623962.