In what will come across as a really heartbreaking development, a holidaymaker, Simon Houlder has died while wirh friends.

The holidaymaker died from getting his leg sliced up in a boat propeller after he was pushed into a river by friends in a horrific prank gone wrong, an inquest has heard.

Simon Houlder, from Bubwith in East Yorkshire, hired a boat with six friends on the Norfolk Broads to celebrate his 30th birthday.

Friends had been drinking and ‘were having a laugh’ when joiner Mr Houlder – who went by the nickname Sly – was pushed in.

He became trapped in the propeller on the back of the vessel while trying to get on board from the rear – while the boat was reversing towards him.

Two other friends were pushed in the water prior to Mr Houlder and both were able to get out safely when the boat went back to pick them up.

But when the boat went to get Mr Houlder, he was already swimming towards the propeller.

Friend Frederick Collins shouted to Mr Houlder to swim to the side of the vessel, while instructing the driver of the boat to stop reversing, the BBC reports.

Mr Houlder, from Bubwith in East Yorkshire, hired a boat with six friends on the Norfolk Broads (file image, pictured) to celebrate his 30th birthday

But he said the boat’s engine noise was so loud that the men may not have heard him.

Mr Collins said: ‘Simon came within a metre of the back of the boat and it dawned on him the boat wasn’t stopping. I could see fear etched on his face.’

Mr Houlder ‘disappeared under the water’ before reappearing along the side of the vessel after three men jumped in to try to save him.

He had a ‘significant injury’ to his leg and was airlifted to James Paget Hospital.

Mr Houlder died that same day in Addenbrooke Hospital in Cambridge from haemorrhage caused by severe blood loss.

Assistant Coroner Johanna Thompson said it was death by misadventure and branded it ‘a very sad, tragic outcome’.

She stated there was ‘nothing untoward about the activity, it was just young men enjoying themselves and having fun’.

Mr Houlder’s mother Jacqueline said the men on the boat were a ‘band of brothers’ to the family and called it ‘a tragic accident’.

Mr Houlder played football for Bubwith White Swan – a pub team in his local area. His grieving teammates raised more than £10,000 for the family.