Filipino soldier killed in Balikatan accident in Subic

A Filipino participant in the joint Philippine-US Balikatan military exercises died Thursday afternoon following an accident during one of the event's exercises in Subic.

Capt. Celeste Frank Sayson, public affairs officer of this year's Balikatan exercises, said the soldier died at Unihealth-Baypoint Hospital and Medical Center in Olongapo City about two hours after the accident.

The soldier "dropped to the nearby sea of Subic airport due to wind drag" during Balikatan's proficiency parachute jump exercise at 3:45 p.m., Sayson said, adding it was more or less 30 feet deep in the area where the soldier landed.

"We call it a freak accident. He was supposed to land in a landing zone [at the airport] but he was carried by the wind packet and landed at the sea," Sayson said.

A pre-positioned force-protection team at the drop zone took 15 minutes to rescue the soldier, who was among the first 10 of 20 paratroopers to jump in the exercise.

Sayson said the responders conducted "first aid treatment to revived him [and] after five minutes he was brought to Unihealth Baypoint Hospital for medical treatment."

Sayson did not identify the soldier, but described him as a member of the 710 Special Operations Wing of the Philippine Air Force with a rank of Airman 2nd Class.

"He was confirmed dead 05:25 p.m.," Sayson said. "We withheld name of the Filipino soldier for his family's concern."

About 8,000 US and Filipino troops are participating in this year's Balikatan exercises designed to strengthen humanitarian and maritime security procedures.

From April 4 to 15, the long-time allies will test their command-and-control, communications, logistics and mobility procedures to address humanitarian and maritime security.

The troops will also simulate retaking an oil-and-gas platform and practice an amphibious landing on a Philippine beach. —KBK, GMA News