- A Filipino paratrooper participating in this year’s Balikatan combat drill died following an accident in one of the event’s exercises
- A sudden gust of wind blew the jumper towards the sea instead of an airdrop zone
- The soldier’s identity was withheld pending notification of his family
A Filipino paratrooper died Thursday, April 7, in an accident during the joint Philippines-United States Balikatan military exercises in Subic, Olongapo.
This year’s Balikatan public affairs officer Capt. Celeste Frank Sayson said the paratrooper was a member of the Philippine Air Force’s 710 Special Operations wing with the rank of Airman 2nd Class. He declined to identify the soldier pending notification of his family.
An article published by InterAksyon on April 7, 2015 said that the soldier participated in the proficiency parachute jump exercise. He was among the first 10 of 20 jumpers released at a C130 plane of the US military. A sudden strong gust of wind blew him out to the sea instead of an airdrop zone.
A military report said the paratrooper landed at the sea about 30 feet deep.
“We call it a freak accident. He was supposed to land in a landing zone at the airport but he was carried by the wind packet and landed at the sea,” Capt. Sayson said.
A force protection team composed of Filipino and American soldiers who were pre-positioned at the drop zone were able to recover the soldier about 15 minutes later. They tried to revive him before they brought him to the nearby Unihealth Bay Point Hospital, where he was declared dead.
“He was confirmed dead 05:25 p.m.,” Sayson said.
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