A new report has revealed that an Army soldier who died during a group run could have survived if he was treated earlier. Sapper Connor Morrison, a member of the 23 Parachute Engineer Regiment stationed in Suffolk, died on 21 July 2022 from exertional heatstroke. According to the Defence Safety Authority (DSA) report, medics and other soldiers failed to treat him in time, which led to a late diagnosis of heatstroke and reduced his chances of survival significantly.
The soldier had reportedly “struggled” at different points during the run and was “weaving from side-to-side” before collapsing at the 8km mark. Witnesses said he collapsed because of heat exhaustion due to the hot weather, but the panel found no correlation between the temperature that morning and the soldier’s death. The report concluded that on the balance of probabilities, the late diagnosis of exertional heatstroke led to Sapper Morrison’s death.
The report identified several factors that contributed to the soldier’s collapse, including incomplete heat-illness prevention training among some participants in the run and a lack of water to cool down or rehydrate him when he collapsed. The DSA noted that attempts to cool Sapper Morrison did not take place until 31 minutes after his collapse, which was outside of the recommended treatment window.
The report made 41 recommendations, including the completion of heat illness prevention and recognition training. The British Army said it was committed to minimising the chance of a repeat incident and improving organisational learning to reduce risks. A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service Trust said the paramedic on site had carried out the correct procedures to assess the patient and had begun treatment for heatstroke within minutes of arrival in accordance with national guidelines
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