Soldier's Death in Afghanistan Blamed on Helicopter Fault

A British soldier bled to death in Afghanistan because of faulty equipment, compounded by incompetence, according to a military inquiry into the incident.

Corporal Mark Wright, who died from his injuries in a minefield after rescuing an injured colleague, could have lived if the helicopter summoned to help had been equipped with a winch, the inquiry reveals.

Wright, a 27-year-old paratrooper posthumously awarded the George Cross, was among seven soldiers trapped in a minefield in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, in September 2006. They had to wait five hours for a US Knighthawk helicopter to rescue them. Wright died before the aircraft reached a military hospital in Camp Bastion.

The report of the military inquiry, presided over by Major General Andrew Farquhar and yet to be published, says there were no British helicopters equipped to get soldiers out of a minefield. Had there been, it is understood to say, "Cpl Wright's wounding may not have proved fatal".

It concludes that Wright died because of the non-availability of an aircraft equipped with a suitable winch, that British soldiers did not have a map of the mined area even though one was available, radio problems led to a communications breakdown, and soldiers had to provide their own mine extraction kits. It says that Britain's armed forces need to have their own combat search and rescue capability. None of the problems was mentioned at the time of the incident.

An MoD spokeswoman said yesterday: "We have helicopters, equipped with a hoist, allocated for medical support, of the type and in the number appropriate to the circumstances ... At the time of the incident, all of the helicopters in theatre would have been fully equipped. However, a fault with another system necessitated all of the winches being returned to the UK as a matter of urgency for inspection to ensure their reliability."

Paul Harrington, lawyer for Wright's parents, said: "There was a systemic failure by the MoD in providing adequate resources, equipment and intelligence which led to a wholly avoidable death and serious injuries." Wright's father, Bob, was reported to be furious with the MoD, accusing it of "trying to hide the truth". Harrington is also acting for three soldiers who lost legs in the incident and are suing for negligence.

Des Browne, the defense secretary, said yesterday that Britain could be engaged in Afghanistan for decades. He added in an interview with the People: "But there is only so much our forces can achieve. The job can only be completed by the international community working with the Afghan government and its army. It is a commitment which could last decades, although it will reduce over time."

Defense officials say the commitment does not mean that Britain will deploy its present level of troops in Afghanistan - about 7,700 - for decades.