A paratrooper tragically died last night after he was swept away by strong winds during a night free fall, as officially announced by the General Staff of National Defence.
During the exercise, the paratrooper went out of the drop zone – signalling an alarm to the Armed Forces. A large operation was immediately launched to locate the man.
The causes and conditions of the tragedy are being investigated. The announcement of the General Staff of National Defence is as follows:
“The General Staff of National Defense announces that, on the night of 3 to 4 September 2020, the EPOP Sergeant (PZ) K.M.
“GEETHA expresses its heartfelt condolences to his family. The causes and circumstances of the accident are being duly investigated.”
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also expressed his condolences to the family of the drill sergeant on Friday, noting that he “fell in the line of duty.”
“I am well aware of the efforts of our uniformed personnel to avoid accidents by employing strict safety measures in the units. But training is laborious to keep the army effective in battle. And, unfortunately, that is where danger lurks,” he said.
