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04/05/2010
Sea Cadet Dies In Ship Tragedy
A 14-year-old sea cadet has died after falling from a ship's rigging into the Solent.
The boy, from Kent, fell about 7.5m (25ft) from the yardarm of the training ship Royalist while stowing a sail for the night.
He was in the water for around four minutes before being dragged out by fellow cadets.
He was airlifted to hospital by the coastguard helicopter but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Lifeboat crews said they did everything in their power to help the boy and detectives have now begun an investigation to determine how the boy fell.
The teenager was one of 19 sea cadets and 10 staff onboard the brig, all from the south-east of England and aged between 13 and 18.
They were celebrating the movement's 150th anniversary at the 2010 Sea Cadet Festival, which was held at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth over the bank holiday.
"Our thoughts are with the young cadet’s family at this distressing and painful time," said Mike Cornish of the Marine Society and Sea Cadets charity.
"This tragic fatality is the first the ship has experienced since she was commissioned."
The boy was likely to have been wearing a harness – but would not have been wearing a life jacket in case it got tangled in the rigging.
In a statement, the Marine Society and Sea Cadets said: "The charity is deeply saddened to report that a tragic and fatal accident occurred on sea cadet training vessel TS Royalist on Sunday.
"The protection and safeguarding of young people is of paramount importance to the charity, and we take our duty of care very seriously.
"TS Royalist is staffed by experienced and qualified crew.
"This tragic fatality is the first the ship has experienced since she was commissioned in 1971."
(LB/BMcC)
The boy, from Kent, fell about 7.5m (25ft) from the yardarm of the training ship Royalist while stowing a sail for the night.
He was in the water for around four minutes before being dragged out by fellow cadets.
He was airlifted to hospital by the coastguard helicopter but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Lifeboat crews said they did everything in their power to help the boy and detectives have now begun an investigation to determine how the boy fell.
The teenager was one of 19 sea cadets and 10 staff onboard the brig, all from the south-east of England and aged between 13 and 18.
They were celebrating the movement's 150th anniversary at the 2010 Sea Cadet Festival, which was held at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth over the bank holiday.
"Our thoughts are with the young cadet’s family at this distressing and painful time," said Mike Cornish of the Marine Society and Sea Cadets charity.
"This tragic fatality is the first the ship has experienced since she was commissioned."
The boy was likely to have been wearing a harness – but would not have been wearing a life jacket in case it got tangled in the rigging.
In a statement, the Marine Society and Sea Cadets said: "The charity is deeply saddened to report that a tragic and fatal accident occurred on sea cadet training vessel TS Royalist on Sunday.
"The protection and safeguarding of young people is of paramount importance to the charity, and we take our duty of care very seriously.
"TS Royalist is staffed by experienced and qualified crew.
"This tragic fatality is the first the ship has experienced since she was commissioned in 1971."
(LB/BMcC)
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