ZCZC
BFF-45
BULGARIA-MILITARY-ACCIDENT
Canadian paratrooper dies on exercise in Bulgaria
SOFIA, June 18, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – A Canadian paratrooper died and three
others — one Canadian and two US soldiers – were injured in a US Army
Europe-led exercise in Bulgaria, officials and media said Tuesday.
One soldier was killed and three others injured jumping from a height of
400 metres (1,300 feet) late Monday, according to Bulgarian army spokeswoman
Violina Valeva.
The accident happened “during an airborne drop operation” at the so-called
“Swift Response” exercise, the defence ministry said.
Dnevnik newspaper’s web edition reported that one Canadian paratrooper
died and another Canadian and two US soldiers were hospitalised with non-
critical injuries.
The dead man’s parachute failed to open at Cheshnegirovo airfield near
Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second-largest city, the local trafficnews.bg website
said.
Three other paratroopers who were close by suffered arm and leg fractures,
the website added. “Swift Response” — a US Army Europe-directed
multinational exercise — is taking place June 11-24 in Bulgaria, Croatia and
Romania with 5,600 soldiers from eight countries, including 1,495
paratroopers, involved.
The annual drills test deployment of high-readiness forces into a
designated area while advancing airborne interoperability among NATO allies.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1853 hrs