Failed chute kills master military parachutist

August 21, 2012

A respected military parachutist was killed when his parachute failed to open while practicing for a military air show at Sattahip. He cut away his main chute, but his reserve chute failed to open in time before his body hit the ground.

SATTAHIP – August 20, 2012 [PDN]; at 6 P.M., Pol. Lt. Capt. Theetat Tarunchan, detective officer of the shift, was notified that the dead body of a navy parachutist was at a house at 104/130 Moo 6 Sattahip.

He rushed to the house with Pol. Col. Chanapat Navalak, director of Sattahip police station; Pol. Lt. Col. Prakop Sangpring, vice director of suppression division; Pol. Lt. Col. Nipon Pamsanam, director of investigation division; and the rescue team from Sawang Rojana Thammasathan Sattahip.

The scene was a 2-story house encircled by fences, located in the center of the village. The homeowner, 1st Lt. Kosol Sripor, age 41, was at the wheeled iron gate at the front of the house.

There the police found the body of Master Sgt. 1st class Rattapol Seelaket, age 35, a skilled parachutist with Special Forces Force, patrol squad, Royal Thai Marines.

Mr. Rattapol was dressed in full military uniform worn over a Freud skydiving suit. There was a lot of blood that soaked his clothing and external body. Mr. Rattapol’s wife was embracing his body and weeping by his side.

Nearly a hundred soldiers and officers had come to mourn over his death. The atmosphere was filled with sadness.

The accident occurred while the parachutists were practicing for the closing ceremony of the August 25 Marine Corps sky show, said Wing commander Narumit Sooksmiti, commissioner of the patrol squad.

The commander said at about 3 p.m., 33 parachutists were practicing skydiving at 8,000 feet from a Fokker F – 27 aircraft. They were jumping from the plane and landing at the Navy Stadium Km. 5, Sattahip, Chonburi Plutaluang.

However, during his jump, Mr. Rattapol’s parachute failed to open. He cut his main chute away, then tried to release his reserve parachute. But it failed to open in time before his body hit the ground.

The commander has ordered that the defective parachute be retrieved and examined to determine the exact cause of failure, before he makes a report to the upper command.

The commander sadly praised Mr. Rattapol as a skilled master parachutist, who had a well-respected reputation for his capabilities in tactical parachuting and other jumping techniques. Mr. Rattapol had used his knowledge to train several generations of parachutists for the Royal Navy, he said.

The commander said that after the tragic accident, the name of Master Sgt. 1st class Rattapol Seelaket will be forever remembered by his fellow jumpers and the younger generations of parachutists.

Pol. Col. Chanapat Navalak assigned responsibility of the case to the police captain for the official record of the death. The body will be sent to the forensic lab to determine the cause of death. Mr.Rattabol’s body will then be returned to the Navy for a religious ceremony with honors.