Ariadne Massa
Magisterial inquiry concluded
More soldiers needed treatment
The magisterial inquiry into the untimely death of Gunner Matthew Psaila has been concluded by Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera and sent to the Attorney General's office.
The 19-year-old died in the early hours of February 16 after succumbing to injuries he sustained during a military exercise at Chadwick Lakes. Three days earlier he had been pulled out of the water unconscious after spending some 10 minutes submerged and 20 more without a pulse in the ambulance.
It is believed that, among other things, the inquiry found that other soldiers from C Company, who were training with Gunner Psaila, had also found themselves in difficulty and required treatment.
The magisterial inquiry is just one of three formal investigations delving into the circumstances leading to the death: one is the army's internal military inquiry while Judge Victor Caruana Colombo was appointed by the Office of the Prime Minister to examine all aspects of C Company's operation.
The incident happened at about 10.30 a.m. on February 13 when a team of nine soldiers from C Company, the army's quick reaction force, were undergoing teamwork training, carrying logs and surmounting land and water obstacles.
The soldiers, with their faces painted, were in full gear, each carrying a backpack weighing about 20 kilograms and a rifle. The team had to wade against the current and go under a bridge beneath a two-way road.
The family said they believed some panic must have ensued when the soldiers were about to go under the bridge, and that was when Gunner Psaila ended up underwater.
It had also been reported that three soldiers, including Gunner Psaila, found themselves in difficulty and went under. When the supervising soldiers realised this they jumped in to help but, according to unconfirmed reports, nobody seemed to have realised Gunner Psaila was submerged under the bridge.
Army head Brigadier Carmel Vassallo had later confirmed others had also experienced difficulties.
Gunner Psaila could not swim, and this had raised the question as to whether his commanding officer was informed of this fact or not. It was later established that, to enlist with C Company, being able to swim was not a prerequisite.
The young man enlisted with the army on March 17, 2008 and in November he was in the passing-out parade, which meant he qualified as a regular soldier with the force - his dream come true. He was deemed to have the right potential and talents to serve in the elite unit.
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Kimberly Zammit
Mar 10th 2009, 20:15
@ Franco: We all know that everyone should learn how to swim but have you ever heard of hydrophobia? What is next? Should we now say that all soldiers, policemen, firemen and fishermen need to pass a First Aid Exam now too? Matthew's superiors should have known how to perform CPR at least but they did not.
He knew perfectly well he could not swim, it is not a prerequisite but he hoped someone would someday teach him properly. Soldiers are human we cannot expect them to know any imaginable skill possible- this is not the USA Marine Delta Force. It is not that way simply because the Maltese administration prefers spending money on healthcare (even though inefficient as in this case) and welfare.
I knew Matthew perfectly, he was very slender, not so tall (just a few centimetres taller then me and I'm 5 feet 4 inches tall) either. So tell me, even if one is a great swimmer, how can you with a 25kg gear on your shoulders (rifle weighs around 5kg) in a cold rainy morning, carrying probably around a 5kg heavy log (so that's 30kg) trudging through non-salty very dirty water, be able to swim? Seriously...
Kevin Zammit
Mar 8th 2009, 09:28
@Franco ... 20 Kilos + a rifle + wearing heavy clothes and heavy boots, under a bridge in non salty water .... you'ld have to be one heck of a swimmer. Sorry mate I don't think you know what you're talking about. I can see that for a sailor it could be important but it would be daft to expect land based military personnel to all know how to swim.
What Tyrell here was trying to tell you is that his uncle knew that if he ever had to end up in the atlantic he had two choices, die of asphyxiation or die of hypothermia. What ever it is I do not think that any soldier does not realise what s/he is in it for.
M. Baron
Mar 8th 2009, 01:18
the term company implies that the whole group takes care of its members, especially since this is not a football team, but by nature is expected to encounter extreme hazard, both in training and in conflict. The responsibility of the death of a member who had not yet been a whole year enlisted, must rest on the shoulders of his buddies and the commanding officer
Emanuel Schembri
Mar 7th 2009, 22:26
I cannot but wonder what's the use of the kind of training the 'elite' C company indulges in. Wading through waters and carrying heavy loads is understandable training for Civil Defence operatives, but what's the use of such and similar training in guerrilla tactics (e.g.) for the Maltese army. Truly one might think they might assist in CD operations in case of need. That's a valid argument. But if that is the aim of this training, why camouflage their face with shoe black or whatever? I am inclined to suspect that what this 'elite' group indulges in is a sordid imitation of Johnny Rambo. We seem to have once more an 'operatta army' like we had in the sixties - incidentally under a Nationalist government.
Francelle Pace Agius
Mar 7th 2009, 21:29
is it that what the state is going to tell his family? "...to leave emotions aside????" who can ever heal the pain? can't this person understand how the bereft is left to live only with and for emotions? whatever an inquiry and whatever a result definitely nothing will ease such emotions, so please, if we Maltese still remember how, let's show some respect and not reserve it only for 'occasional show cases'. Thanks.
Franco Farrugia
Mar 7th 2009, 17:42
@ James Tyrrell: As I said, let's leave aside our emotions and think in terms of what should be done and what should not be done. I still maintain that any Army official or member SHOULD know how to swim. Indeed, EVERY person should know how to swim, whether in the Army or not. It is a basic skill.
leonardo vince
Mar 7th 2009, 16:03
'with their faces painted,'
So? Where is the meat? Who was responsible? I always hold that enquiries in Malta are a farce! Either take years to conclude or are inconclusive.
L Debono
Mar 7th 2009, 15:19
Can you kindly publish the reports of this enquiry, please?
James A. Tyrrell
Mar 7th 2009, 14:30
@Franco Farrugia. Sorry Franco but I can't agree with you there. From what I have read this young lad wanted more than anything to join the army. For generations young people have joined the forces straight out of school and during their training have learned all the skills they need to carry out their chosen career.
My uncle served in the Royal Navy during WW2 as a gunner. He was also involved in the Russian convoys and various other conflicts before retiring to civilian life. When he died of a stroke at the age of 82 he still hadn't learned to swim. He used to say that if he ended up in the Atlantic he would rather just get it over with.
Young people can't know everything but that shouldn't hold them back from following the career path they want to take. My heart goes out to the family and friends of Matthew but they must take strength from the fact that he died living his dream.
charles muscat
Mar 7th 2009, 14:17
how come Malta is saying things about UK due to economic tough time and not saying anything about tough time about tiny Malta?
G. Sammut
Mar 7th 2009, 13:45
@ Franco Farrugia
Please spare us your metaphors
Paul Micallef
Mar 7th 2009, 13:28
Well i must say that the ARMY,that i once was part of not the one in Malta,thought me and my friends to cover each other, watch out for one another,always cover ones back,,,, where have all these simple military princilples went???where there any qualified ARMY life savers??? where the soldiers asked if they could swim?????in any kind of in training questionare as to asses ones ability???.
Simple this young man died in vain as some stuck up toffe,,,did not join his men in this training exercise??.
Wading through water is one of the kind of basic training that i had to go through in the Army with full kit, SLR, and everything, but there was always someone to cover my back.
Even on the fireing range we had people watching over us that is the whole point of training there is suppose to be someone watching over you.VIVA GOLD STREAM GUARDS.
Franco Farrugia
Mar 7th 2009, 11:26
Now that water has passed under the bridge (matephorically speaking!), we have to go beyond the emotions and the human sensitivity and face facts, if we are to ensure that such a tragedy is not repeated: whatever and however much a person has the best qualities and intentions in the world, that person has no place in the Army unless he or she knows how to swim.
However, this is not to say that the tragedy took place SIMPLY because the person in question could not swim.