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| Drowned cadet in wrong lifejacket | Drowned cadet in wrong lifejacket |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A teenage Army cadet who drowned after being pinned under a capsized boat was wearing the wrong kind of lifejacket, an investigation has found. | A teenage Army cadet who drowned after being pinned under a capsized boat was wearing the wrong kind of lifejacket, an investigation has found. |
| Kaylee McIntosh, 14, from Fyvie, Aberdeenshire, died on a training exercise on Loch Carnan on South Uist in the Outer Hebrides last summer. | Kaylee McIntosh, 14, from Fyvie, Aberdeenshire, died on a training exercise on Loch Carnan on South Uist in the Outer Hebrides last summer. |
| A Marine Accident Investigation Branch report said her lifejacket was not approved for use by children. | A Marine Accident Investigation Branch report said her lifejacket was not approved for use by children. |
| It said the jacket's extra buoyancy would have pinned her under the boat. | It said the jacket's extra buoyancy would have pinned her under the boat. |
| An error in a headcount taken after the incident meant the teenager was trapped under the boat for an hour and a half before it was noticed she was missing. | An error in a headcount taken after the incident meant the teenager was trapped under the boat for an hour and a half before it was noticed she was missing. |
| Her body was recovered by fish farm workers from under the vessel off Steisay Island two hours later. | Her body was recovered by fish farm workers from under the vessel off Steisay Island two hours later. |
| The report said the lifejacket Kaylee was given was more than three times the buoyancy of those usually used by cadets in training activities. | The report said the lifejacket Kaylee was given was more than three times the buoyancy of those usually used by cadets in training activities. |
| Although it is not certain when Cadet M drowned, the delay in recognising the fact that she was missing undoubtedly reduced her chances of survival Marine Accident Investigation Branch report | Although it is not certain when Cadet M drowned, the delay in recognising the fact that she was missing undoubtedly reduced her chances of survival Marine Accident Investigation Branch report |
| Read the report Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download the reader here | Read the report Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download the reader here |
| It stated: "Following capsize, of the four persons who surfaced under the upturned hull, only Cadet M was unable to swim clear. | It stated: "Following capsize, of the four persons who surfaced under the upturned hull, only Cadet M was unable to swim clear. |
| "When recovered, her lifejacket was inflated and, as this had to be achieved manually, it is evident that she took this action at some point during her ordeal. | "When recovered, her lifejacket was inflated and, as this had to be achieved manually, it is evident that she took this action at some point during her ordeal. |
| "In the absence of any instructions regarding what to do in the event of capsize, this was probably an instinctive reaction to help keep her afloat. | "In the absence of any instructions regarding what to do in the event of capsize, this was probably an instinctive reaction to help keep her afloat. |
| "However, the lifejacket was not approved for use by children, and its buoyancy was over three times that of the approved lifejackets supplied for cadet force adventurous training activities. | "However, the lifejacket was not approved for use by children, and its buoyancy was over three times that of the approved lifejackets supplied for cadet force adventurous training activities. |
| "Consequently, once inflated, it would have pinned Cadet M under the craft and prevented her escape." | "Consequently, once inflated, it would have pinned Cadet M under the craft and prevented her escape." |
| Kaylee was one of 34 cadets taking part in the three-boat exercise on 3 August. | Kaylee was one of 34 cadets taking part in the three-boat exercise on 3 August. |
| A rescue operation was launched after a vessel carrying the schoolgirl and 12 others capsized in choppy seas. | A rescue operation was launched after a vessel carrying the schoolgirl and 12 others capsized in choppy seas. |
| Headcount error | Headcount error |
| The vessel, known as a Rigid Raiding Craft 2, had taken on water which became trapped on deck because the boat's "trouser leg" drains had not been lowered. | The vessel, known as a Rigid Raiding Craft 2, had taken on water which became trapped on deck because the boat's "trouser leg" drains had not been lowered. |
| An instruction for the seated cadets to move from one side of the boat to the other triggered it to go under. | An instruction for the seated cadets to move from one side of the boat to the other triggered it to go under. |
| A headcount was carried out, but it is thought that a young female instructor may have been identified as a cadet or counted twice. | A headcount was carried out, but it is thought that a young female instructor may have been identified as a cadet or counted twice. |
| As the cadets came from different detachments across the county and were seated in the boats on a first-come-first-served basis, nobody noticed Kaylee was missing. | As the cadets came from different detachments across the county and were seated in the boats on a first-come-first-served basis, nobody noticed Kaylee was missing. |
| The report stated: "Although it is not certain when Cadet M drowned, the delay in recognising the fact that she was missing undoubtedly reduced her chances of survival." | The report stated: "Although it is not certain when Cadet M drowned, the delay in recognising the fact that she was missing undoubtedly reduced her chances of survival." |
| The investigation identified several other failures during the exercise. | The investigation identified several other failures during the exercise. |
| It said the boat was "ill-prepared and ill-equipped" to navigate safely between Loch Carnan and Loch Skipport. | It said the boat was "ill-prepared and ill-equipped" to navigate safely between Loch Carnan and Loch Skipport. |
| A machine gun had been strapped to the boat, against regulations | A machine gun had been strapped to the boat, against regulations |
| The report also said the route had not been properly planned and the coxswains had not been well briefed. | The report also said the route had not been properly planned and the coxswains had not been well briefed. |
| It also pointed out that while the cadets were carrying regulation training rifles, the cadet executive officer (CEO) - a former paratrooper - had fitted a general purpose machine gun with blank ammunition to the boat. | It also pointed out that while the cadets were carrying regulation training rifles, the cadet executive officer (CEO) - a former paratrooper - had fitted a general purpose machine gun with blank ammunition to the boat. |
| Such a weapon is not authorised for the Army Cadet Force (ACF) to use. | |
| Following the accident, all boat "gifting" from the Ministry of Defence to the ACF has been suspended. | |
| The 2nd Battalion the Highlanders ACF, of which Kaylee was a member, has also temporarily suspended all powerboat activities. | |
| An MoD statement said: "The Army and Army Cadet Forces have taken actions in the light of this tragic accident. | An MoD statement said: "The Army and Army Cadet Forces have taken actions in the light of this tragic accident. |
| "We are still awaiting directions from Stornoway procurator fiscal and it would be unwise to speculate or comment further until that decision is made. | "We are still awaiting directions from Stornoway procurator fiscal and it would be unwise to speculate or comment further until that decision is made. |
| "The Army has co-operated fully with investigations by Northern Constabulary and the MAIB and remains available to assist in any way possible. | "The Army has co-operated fully with investigations by Northern Constabulary and the MAIB and remains available to assist in any way possible. |
| "The Army will reopen its own Board of Inquiry into the incident once all the investigations have been completed by the procurator fiscal, the Northern Constabulary and the MAIB." | "The Army will reopen its own Board of Inquiry into the incident once all the investigations have been completed by the procurator fiscal, the Northern Constabulary and the MAIB." |