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Parachute death lessons demanded | Parachute death lessons demanded |
(3 days later) | |
The mother of a soldier who died on his first day of parachute training has called for the Army to "act upon" the lessons from his death. | |
Captain Daniel Wright, 25, from Cwmbran, south Wales, died at Weston on the Green, Oxon, when his parachute failed to open on his second jump. | |
He opened his reserve parachute too late in to the 2,500 ft (762m) jump. | He opened his reserve parachute too late in to the 2,500 ft (762m) jump. |
An Army board has recommended improved emergency training and said trainees should have a bleeping warning device. | An Army board has recommended improved emergency training and said trainees should have a bleeping warning device. |
Eye witnesses reported seeing Capt Wright, of the Queen's Gurkha Signal Corps, trying to control his main parachute by using the steering lines during the jump on 17 November 2005, his first day of training with Army Special Forces. | |
He eventually managed to open his reserve chute but it was too late to save him. | He eventually managed to open his reserve chute but it was too late to save him. |
He was a bright boy, a great athlete, funny too and just great to have around the house Carol Wright, mother | He was a bright boy, a great athlete, funny too and just great to have around the house Carol Wright, mother |
Speaking outside the inquest in Oxford into her son's death, Carol Wright, 60, a health visitor, said: "Issues of training and funding need to be put in the public domain by this inquest. | |
"Lessons must be learned and acted upon. We hear this so often from the families of those who have died. "We cannot bring Dan back but we do hope that his death can make it less likely that the same thing will happen to someone else." | "Lessons must be learned and acted upon. We hear this so often from the families of those who have died. "We cannot bring Dan back but we do hope that his death can make it less likely that the same thing will happen to someone else." |
She said her son, who studied physics at Nottingham University, joined the Army because he "could not bear the thought of mundane nine-to-five life." | She said her son, who studied physics at Nottingham University, joined the Army because he "could not bear the thought of mundane nine-to-five life." |
She said: "We are very proud of Dan. He was a bright boy, a great athlete, funny too and just great to have around the house." | She said: "We are very proud of Dan. He was a bright boy, a great athlete, funny too and just great to have around the house." |
Although she was "horrified" when her son first spoke of his intention to join the Army, she said she was delighted following his selection to train for the special forces "because it was clearly something he absolutely loved". | Although she was "horrified" when her son first spoke of his intention to join the Army, she said she was delighted following his selection to train for the special forces "because it was clearly something he absolutely loved". |
An MoD board of inquiry found Capt Wright's death was not caused by procedural and training failures, but could not explain why his main parachute became stuck or why the officer had not acted more quickly to open his reserve. | An MoD board of inquiry found Capt Wright's death was not caused by procedural and training failures, but could not explain why his main parachute became stuck or why the officer had not acted more quickly to open his reserve. |