NI soldier dies in parachute incident

Death happened during military training jump

A soldier from Northern Ireland has been killed while making a parachute jump during a training exercise in Canada.

Private Stuart James McMaster, 20, from Ballymena in County Antrim, was serving with the 1st Royal Irish Regiment based in Kent.

He died on Saturday afternoon at a skydiving ranch, in Beiseker, near Calgary, after his parachute became tangled and failed to open properly.

He was pronounced dead by at the scene by paramedics.

Private McMaster and about 700 other regiment members had been camping at a Canadian forces base north east of Calgary, as part of a six-week and tactical training exercise.

Police inquiries

A British Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said his family had been informed and that his death was being investigated.

Canadian military police were also making inquiries.

A British Army spokesman in Beiseker said Private McMaster had made several successful skydives before his fatal accident.

He added: "In this case, it's all gone tragically wrong."

Training was suspended at the skydiving centre pending the outcome of the army's inquiry, which will centre on Private McMaster's parachute.