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An Australian Army soldier has died during a parachute training exercise at the Jervis Bay Airfield.
Warrant Officer Class Two Lachlan Muddle, 50, was fatally involved in a mid-air collision with another soldier on Monday evening, Defence has confirmed.
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Muddle was a highly skilled, experienced paratrooper and had served in the Special Air Service (SAS) regiment.
Australian Army Special Operations Commander Major General Garth Gould addressed the media on Tuesday afternoon, providing further details on the incident and confirming an investigation will ensue.
“He was operationally experienced. He was a highly qualified special forces sniper and military freefall parachutist,” Gould said.
The second soldier involved in the incident suffered “minor injuries” and was reportedly the first person to provide first aid to Muddle.
“What we know about the incident is that both paratroopers collided several hundred feet above the ground whilst they were manoeuvring towards the drop zone,” Gould added.
“After the collision, both soldiers fell from height.”
This is the Australian Army’s second death in two years caused within parachute training.
In 2024, Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon, 33, died following a parachuting accident at RAAF Base Richmond. He was the son of former Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon.
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