Corporal’s death not result of fitness test
Army unaware of soldier’s underlying medical issue
THE sudden death of a Scots soldier during an Army fitness test was an ‘unforeseen tragedy’ stemming from an underlying medical condition, an official probe has concluded.
Corporal Joshua Hoole, 26, of The Rifles regiment, died on July 19, 2016, in Brecon, Wales, while training for the Platoon Sergeants’ Battle Course – which is described as ‘both mentally and physically demanding’.
Cpl Hoole, of Ecclefechan, Dumfriesshire, collapsed at 8.52am – temperatures later peaked at just above 30C (86F).
A Ministry of Defence service inquiry (SI) into the death was carried out by the Defence Safety Authority, with the findings now made available.
It said Cpl Hoole had 55lb of equipment on when he collapsed just before 9am, 400 yards from the end of the eightmile course.
He was heard to say just beforehand that he was suffering from cramp.
An ambulance was called and a combat medical technician cleared his airways of a build-up of fluid and began CPR.
Army colleagues assisted treating Cpl Hoole until an ambulance arrived, just over ten minutes after he collapsed.
He was pronounced dead at 9.39am. The cause of death is redacted but was described as being ‘within the definition of Sudden Arrhythmogenic Death Syndrome (SADS)’, a genetic heart conditions that can cause sudden death in young, apparently healthy, people.
Cpl Hoole, who had been due to marry his fiancée Rachael McKie this year, was said to be ‘one of the fitter soldiers on his course’ during basic training.
The probe found Cpl Hoole himself would not have known of his susceptibility to SADS and that it was reasonable for the Army not to have known about the problem.
And while it has made a number of recommendations for the future, it stressed none of the areas examined directly contributed to, or aggravated the soldier’s death.
The report found a combination of SADS trigger factors – exercise, heat, adrenaline levels and potentially an imbalance of blood salt levels – were ‘contributory to this accident’ but concluded: ‘The SI found no aggravating factors in this accident.’
Writing in the report, Lieutenant General Richard Felton said: ‘Cpl Hoole was a physically fit, determined and capable infantry soldier. He was experienced, with numerous operational deployments under his belt in his eight years of service and had a promising career ahead of him. His sudden death was an unforeseen tragedy.’
The panel concluded the soldier did not die as a direct result of doing the annual fitness test (AFT).
‘Cpl Hoole’s medical condition might have manifested itself similarly at any time if what he was doing caused the trigger factors to prompt SADS,’ the report said.
‘Furthermore, despite the
‘Physically fit and experienced’
immediate and comprehensive emergency medical treatment Cpl Hoole received, it was not realistically possible to have saved his life once he had collapsed.
The panel has made a number of recommendations to address inconsistencies and shortfalls across the areas it examined but said: ‘It must be stressed that none of these were factors that directly contributed to, or aggravated Cpl Hoole’s death.’
Lt Gen Felton concluded: ‘Although doing the AFT did not directly cause Cpl Hoole’s death, the loss of such a gifted and promising soldier was an unexpected tragedy.
‘On behalf of the Defence Safety Authority, I offer my condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.’
The Army said it welcomed recommendations made in the report.