Soldier dies on exercise
Fatality on exercise on hottest day of the year
FAMILY TRAGEDY: Soldier Josh Hoole, from Ecclefechan, in Dumfries and Galloway, collapsed and died on a training exercise in the Brecon Beacons in Wales on the hottest day of the year. He was to marry within months.
A CORPORAL who died while on a training exercise on the hottest day of the year has been described by his family as a “dedicated soldier” and a “superfit boy”.
Josh Hoole, from Ecclefechan in Dumfries and Galloway, was a member of The Rifles regiment and was taking part in training ahead of a course to progress to sergeant level when he died in Brecon, Wales, on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old was due to marry his partner Rachael McKie later this year and had been preparing to be best man at his brother’s wedding next week.
His death follows those of three soldiers who were taking part in an SAS training exercise in the Brecon Beacons on one of the hottest days of 2013.
The Ministry of Defence will carry out a full investigation into the latest death, Defence Minister Harriett Baldwin said.
Cpl Hoole, who was based at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick, North Yorkshire, had completed two tours of Afghanistan and been to Iraq.
His grandfather John Craig described him as a “beautiful grandson”. He said: “He visited me regularly, every chance he got.
“He was a dedicated soldier. He was a superfit boy, he kept very fit.”
Tuesday was the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures peaking just above 30˚C (86˚F) in Brecon.
The Met Office said the temperature in the early hours, when Cpl Hoole died, was already climbing above 17˚C (62.6˚F) in that area.
The Platoon Sergeants’ Battle Course is taken by infantry soldiers who want to progress to the rank of sergeant.
Most soldiers take part in organised, and sometimes independent, pre-course training which can involve marching long distances carrying weight, and digging trenches. It is described as “both mentally and physically demanding”.
Captain Doug Beattie, who has taken the course and runs pre-courses, said it is tough, and needs to be so.
He said: “But being a demanding exercise does not mean that you do not do your risk assessments and take all precautions so that people don’t get injured in doing that.
“We cannot speculate in this case and need to wait and see.”
MP Johnny Mercer, a former Army officer, said the Defence Committee would look into the incident, which comes three months after it published a report calling for the MoD to be liable for prosecution for the deaths of armed forces personnel during training.
The committee found that, since the start of 2000, 135 military personnel had died while taking part in training and exercises – 89 from the Army, 24 from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, and 22 from the RAF.
Lance Corporals Edward Maher
‘‘ Being a demanding exercise does not mean that you do not do your risk assessments and take all precautions
and Craig Roberts were pronounced dead on the Brecon Beacons after suffering heatstroke during a 16-mile SAS test march three years ago.
Corporal James Dunsby died from multiple organ failure in Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital more than two weeks later. A coroner ruled that neglect played a part in their deaths.
In March, the Health and Safety Executive announced it would issue a so-called Crown Censure to the Ministry of Defence over the 2013 deaths. It said the MoD had failed to manage risks during the training exercise and added that it had worked since the deaths to ensure lessons were learned and future risks reduced.
Defence minister Mike Penning said: “My thoughts and prayers are with the soldier’s family.”