An Indian crewman is recovering in hospital after chopping off his finger while working on board a motor tanker off the coast of Bermuda.

An emergency shipping and medical team from the Island went to meet the tanker Severn off the coast of St. David's at about 8 p.m. on Monday to collect the 46-year-old crewman and bring him ashore.

A spokesman for Meyer shipping agency said it was believed the crewman had cleanly chopped part of his finger off about 36 hours earlier while working on an air conditioning system in the engine room.

The ship had left New Haven in Connecticut and was making its way to Priolo in Italy when the incident happened. The man is expected to be released this weekend and flown back home to India.