22-year-old sergeant dies in maritime rescue exercise – two officers charged with causing death
A rescue exercise by the Finnish Navy missile vessel Tornio in the Gulf of Finland ended with the death of a 22-year-old soldier in December 2023. Two men in command positions are now charged with causing death.
Two officers charged in sergeant's death in Gulf of Finland
Ilta-Sanomat reported that a 35-year-old captain-lieutenant and a 30-year-old stern deck chief of the Finnish Navy missile vessel PGG Tornio are charged with causing the death of a 22-year-old sergeant in the District Court of Western Uusimaa. The proceedings began on 25 August at the Tammisaari court venue.
The case originates from December 2023, when the Finnish Navy conducted a rescue exercise in the Gulf of Finland near the Porkkala Peninsula off Kirkkonummi. The entire crew of 24 men participated in the exercise.
Inexperienced surface rescue swimmer sent into icy sea
In the exercise, two surface rescue swimmers prepared to jump into the sea, whose water temperature was only two degrees according to a report by the Accident Investigation Board (Otkes). Both were inexperienced: one had completed the surface rescue swimmer course in August 2023 and the other only in November 2023. The exercise was the first for both.
The task was to swim 40–50 metres to a practice dummy and rescue it. A rope was to be used to pull the rescue swimmer and dummy back to the vessel.
Soon after the 22-year-old soldier entered the sea, the situation became life-threatening. According to the prosecutor's indictment, water began to leak into the rescue suit because the suit lacked a drainage valve. The man signalled distress towards the vessel after reaching the dummy because he found it difficult to stay afloat. According to Otkes' earlier report, the suit was also found to be too large, which made movement in the water more difficult.
Prosecutor: rescue orders not issued quickly enough
According to the prosecutor, the captain-lieutenant issued a rescue order from the bridge to the stern deck, but necessary actions were not carried out sufficiently quickly. The stern deck chief was responsible for ensuring that orders were followed.
The indictment states that pulling the man back to the side of the vessel took approximately three minutes and 45 seconds – and by then the 22-year-old was on the verge of losing consciousness.
"No rescue ring, of which the vessel had a total of nine, or any other rescue equipment to prevent drowning, was thrown to [the 22-year-old] at any point," the indictment states.
The second surface rescue swimmer jumped into the sea, according to the prosecutor, only when the 22-year-old was already at the vessel's side.
"[The 22-year-old] was in approximately two-degree water for several minutes and repeatedly sank below the surface, as a result of which he was found lifeless on the vessel's deck," the indictment states.
Resuscitation began immediately – soldier died in hospital
According to Otkes' report, resuscitation was started immediately and the vessel headed for Upinniemi. Ambulances waited for the vessel at the quay, and the soldier was transferred by helicopter to Helsinki University Hospital, where he died five days after the exercise.
In an earlier report, Otkes found that safety at the exercise had not been ensured adequately and noted that excessive emphasis had been placed on personal responsibility.
According to the Finnish Navy, checking the rescue suit is the responsibility of the individual soldier.
The prosecutor is seeking conditional prison sentences for both the captain-lieutenant and the stern deck chief.
Source: Ilta-Sanomat