Three Paratroopers Drown During LIMA Training Session

LANGKAWI, Dec 2 (Bernama) -- Three paratroopers, two of them women, drowned and 11 others were injured during a training session in preparation for the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) Exhibition 2007 here today.
A police spokesman said strong winds pushed them away from the intended landing spot in the 10.30am incident.
"Strong gusts of wind pushed them out to sea near the Kuala Muda beach, not far from the Langkawi International Airport," he said.
The dead were identified as Private Nurul Wahida Mohamad Yunus, 20, from Tanjung Malim, Perak; Ranger Siti Hajar Yakub, 24, from Masjid Tanah, Melaka, and Trooper Raimon Duncan, 25, from Simunjan, Sarawak.
Chief of Air Force Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin said a board of inquiry would be set up to probe the incident.
He said the incident happened when a group of 160 paratroopers in two C-130 aircraft were doing a training demonstration on airfield seizure at 10.15am and 10.20am respectively, with their targeted landing at the Langkawi International Airport.
However, after 138 of them had made their jump from 330 metres, there was a strong gush of wind causing the others to go off course, with some of the paratroopers getting entangled on tree branches and others falling into the sea near the Kuala Muda beach, he added.
Following the incident, the remaining paratroopers in the aircraft aborted their jump.
Earlier, Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) public relations officer Major Zulkiflee Abdul Latiff said the paratroopers were from the 10th Para Brigade from the Terendak Camp in Melaka who were training for the opening of LIMA 2007 tomorrow.
He said that erratic wind patterns during the exercise caused some of them to stray off course.
"The search and rescue team was mobilised. The rest of the paratroopers are safe," he said in a statement.
The injured, comprising seven women and four men, were being treated at the Langkawi Hospital, he told reporters.
One of them, Suraya Ali, 23, was said to be in critical condition at the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) while the rest were doing fine.
He said a rescue operation involving several helicopters and planes was immediately mounted by the Malaysian Armed Forces, Fire and Rescue Department, Marine Police and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.
According to him, Siti Hajar died while she was being winched out of the sea.
Meanwhile, some kilometres away, lifeguard Azmi Ismail, 42, an employee at the Pelangi Beach Resort, Pantai Cenang, who was undergoing rescue training at Pantai Tengah, drowned when the catamaran he was in capsized when hit by strong waves.
His colleague, Rosli Shaari, who was also in the boat, was saved by members of the public in the 3pm incident.

tunku :ALFATIHAH and may they rest in peace. hope their families are well compensated.