Soldier killed in minefield mistake

A mine which killed a soldier in Afghanistan exploded as a hovering rescue helicopter tried to land, an inquest heard.

Corporal Mark Wright, 27, of the Parachute Regiment's 3rd Battalion died after being caught by the blast as the Chinook descended in a bid to rescue two injured colleagues.

It has previously been suggested that the mine was set off by the helicopter's downdraft.

Six others were injured, including three who lost limbs, when a patrol encountered the unmarked minefield in the region of Kajaki in Helmand Province on September 6 2006.

Cpl Wright, from Edinburgh, who was trying to save the life of a comrade was posthumously awarded a George Cross medal - the second highest military honour for bravery.

An inquest into his death at Oxford Coroner's Court heard how the platoon was protecting the area around Kajaki Dam.

Sergeant Paul McMellon said he should have been informed of the patrol, adding that he would never have sent two soldiers out on their own into enemy territory "in the middle of nowhere".

He said: "My first thoughts were to get him out of there and why they were there in the first place.

"It is a lot easier to winch them out than to clear an area for a helicopter to land. I was told that there was no helicopter with winches available - there was only a Chinook.

"I told them to send it. That was the only way he was going to get out of there."

The inquest was told that the Chinook arrived around an hour-and-a-half later, by which time a further mine strike had injured another soldier. Sgt McMellon said he heard four explosions in total.

He added: "When the Chinook descended it took off again and was flying around the general area. It was trying to find a place to land.

"It came in again and disappeared over the ridge. It took off again because it couldn't pick them up and basically went.

"We were told there was an explosion as it was trying to land. I didn't hear it personally. The mine strike hit Cpl Wright."

The inquest heard that three-and-a-half hours following the first explosion, an American Blackhawk helicopter arrived to winch the injured soldiers to safety.

Sgt McMellon added: "Some of them managed to walk out of the minefield - the lucky ones. The others missing limbs had to be extracted."

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