Sea Cadet dies after fall from training ship

The gazette can reveal that just after 2030 on Sunday (May 2) that Solent coastguard received a may day call from the square-rigged sail training vessel, TS Royalist,

The Sea Cadet plunged 30ft to his death from the rigging of a training ship.

Jonathan Martin, 14, fell into the sea from the Sea Cadet Corps’ flagship after celebrations to mark the organisation’s 150th anniversary.

His fall was witnessed by up to 18 other young cadets, who had also climbed the rigging to gather in the ship’s sails.

The Mayday call to Solent coastguard stated that a teenager had fallen from the ship’s rigging into the water.

The vessel was anchored in the Solent just off Stokes Bay. Rescue crews from Independent Lifeboat Gosport Inshore rescue and the rescue helicopter 104 from Lee on Solent were called to help recover the boy who fell some 30 feet into the water.

The boy was taken the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth where he was pronounced dead on arrival. An investigation is under way.

The gazette has learn’t that 14-year-old Sea cadet from the Kent area was part of 19 person crew who had been taking part in 150th Sea Cadet Festival 2010 he was being supervised by 10 fully trained staff

which was being held at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth over the bank holiday weekend.

Chris Rudd, senior helmsman at GAFIRS, said the boy had been in the water for around four minutes.

He was dragged out of the sea on an inflatable boat which had been launched by TS Royalist.
Three staff carried out mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until he was transferred on to the lifeboat, where three people, including a paramedic, continued CPR.

He was then winched into the coastguard helicopter and taken to hospital.

Mr Rudd added: ‘Our condolences go out to his family and friends.
‘We did our best and there was not a lot else we could have done.’

Mr Rudd added that the sea was calm and around 6 to 7C with little chance of catching hypothermia.

Sam Shaw Spokeswoman from Marine Society & Sea Cadet said “

The charity is deeply saddened to report that a tragic and fatal accident occurred on Sea Cadet training vessel TS Royalist on Sunday May 2, 2010. Our thoughts are with the young cadet’s family at this distressing and painful time. The charity is now working with the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch to establish the full details of what happened and offering every assistance to the local authorities and Police.

The protection and safeguarding of young people is of paramount importance to the charity, and we take our duty of care very seriously. TS Royalist is staffed by experienced and qualified crew. This tragic fatality is the first the ship has experienced since she was commissioned in 1971.