Royal Marine died during gruelling 18-mile SAS selection march, inquest told
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 12:32 AM on 18th January 2011
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'High achieving': Benjamin Poole was tipped to fulfil his dream of selection to the SAS but collapsed 700metres from the end of an 18-mile march
A super-fit Royal Marine died on a gruelling SAS selection course after being punished for dropping litter, an inquest has heard.
Benjamin Poole, 26, was taking part in the tough training course for the elite regiment when he collapsed at the end of an 18-mile mountain march.
Signaller Poole was carrying a 44lb rucksack and rifle when he collapsed just before the final checkpoint.
The inquest heard that earlier he was among a group of soldiers punished for dropping a chocolate wrapper the day before.
Singaller Poole was sent on a five-minute punishment run doing laps of the army base for littering the Brecon Beacons in mid-Wales during their training.
He was then told to complete the mountain yomp - Marine slang for a march - but collapsed 700 metres from the final checkpoint.
The inquest heard Ben volunteered for the 'arduous' selection process and was in the top 10 per cent of 200 recruits.
An SAS instructor told the inquest: 'The course is designed to develop robust mental and physical fitness.
This is a hard course where candidates are under pressure to perform and standards are high. It is very demanding.'
The inquest heard before setting out on their march, recruits were sent on a five-minute punishment run, doing laps of a 500-metre circuit after litter was found the previous day.
An instructor, identified only as Soldier Two, said in a statement: 'They had been warned about littering at the start of the course. We didn't shout at them during the run.'
Soldier Three told the inquest: 'In response to the littering all students were sent on a run, the distance of a few hundred metres. This would have taken about five minutes, I wouldn't regard it as a punishment.'
The inquest heard Signaller Poole was a 'high achieving, high performing' recruit tipped to fulfil his dream of joining the elite regiment.
He was three days from finishing the four-week selection programme in the Brecon Beacons when the tragedy happened in July 2008.
Lt Col Frederick Kemp told the inquest: 'Marine Poole has been issued with a locator beacon system carried by each student which emits a signal giving their location.
'Staff at the final checkpoint requested a plot on the beacon and it showed he was 700 metres south west of the checkpoint.'
Selection process: The elite regiment use the Brecon Beacons to 'develop robust mental and physical fitness' (file picture)
Instructors raised the alarm because Signaller Poole, one of the quickest troops, had not arrived.
The inquest at Brecon heard they sent a search party and found his body in a deep gully near a reservoir.
A post mortem examination failed to pinpoint a cause of death but later medical tests showed Signaller Poole, based in Hamworthy Barracks in Dorset, suffered heart failure.
Lt Col Kemp said systems had been changed so if another recruit failed to arrive on time a search party would be sent earlier.
He said: 'The time it took to discover Marine Poole was not moving is deeply regretted.
'There are new operating procedures which emphasise monitoring students' progress throughout their marches."
Powys coroner Peter Maddox said: 'Ben didn't activate his personal beacon which suggests he must have died very quickly.'
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R.I.P.
