In brief
- Special Air Service Regiment soldier Warrant Officer Class Two Lachlan Muddle died during a training accident on Monday.
- The prime minister and the defence minister have shared messages of sympathy for Muddle's family and friends.
The prime minister has paid tribute to Lachlan Muddle, a special forces soldier who died in a training accident on Monday evening.
Special Air Service Regiment soldier Warrant Officer Class Two Muddle, 50, sustained fatal injuries during a parachute training exercise at the Jervis Bay Airfield on the NSW south coast, the Department of Defence has shared.
Muddle, a paratrooper and sniper with 30 years of experience in the defence force, collided with a fellow soldier about a hundred feet above the ground during a high-altitude training exercise for the Australian Defence Force's (ADF) parachute school, a senior officer confirmed.
Special Operations Commander Major General Garth Gould told reporters on Tuesday that the two men had already opened their parachutes when the collision occurred.
"Both paratroopers were highly skilled, between the two of them they had several thousand jumps to their credit," he said.
The other soldier involved sustained minor injuries and was the first to provide first aid assistance to Muddle. The incident occurred in the early evening during low light conditions.
"The death of one of our soldiers is a tragedy and deeply felt by the army family and across the broader defence community", the Department of Defence shared in a statement.
"Our highest priority is to support Warrant Officer Class Two Muddle’s family and all members involved in this tragic accident.
"Our thoughts are with them, their friends and the Regiment as they grieve his loss."
All parachute operations have been paused across Australia while initial investigations into the incident are conducted.
Albanese 'grieving' the loss
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the accident is a tragedy and a "stark reminder" that "there are no easy days for those who defend our nation".
"Our hearts also go out to his army family and the broader defence community," Albanese said in a statement. "We are in the debt of every Australian who serves and puts themselves on the line for all of us."
"May Warrant Officer Class Two Muddle live on in every heart he touched."
Defence Minister Richard Marles also shared his condolences on Tuesday, describing Muddle as one of the ADF's "finest".
"Our thoughts are with Warrant Officer Muddle's family, as they are with his friends and his defence family," he said in a statement.
"I know they will be in the thoughts of all Australians today."
The Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL) NSW extended its "deepest condolences" to Muddle's family, friends, and colleagues.
"Training accidents are a stark reminder of the risks our servicemen and women continue to face in service to the nation, both here at home and abroad," they wrote in a statement.
'Confidence' in military safety
The death is the first in a parachuting accident since Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon, son of former federal defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon, died in March 2024 during a training incident at RAAF Base Richmond, northwest of Sydney.
Fitzgibbon's death led to an investigation by the Department of Defence and a two-month halt to parachute training activities.
Despite the two deaths, Gould said he was confident in the safety procedures in place for parachute training.
"They are up to scratch and fit for purpose, I've got a high degree of confidence in our training system," he said.
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