Botched Parachuting Exercise in Germany Sees US Troops Land in Trees, Several Hospitalized

A German firefighter has reportedly sustained severe injuries following a Wednesday operation to rescue at least six injured US Army paratroopers who landed in trees amid a parachute training exercise.

A 62-year-old German firefighter was taken to the intensive care unit late Wednesday night after sustaining “severe but non-life-threatening head injuries” during a rescue mission outside of the US Army’s Grafenwoehr Training Area near the town of Grafenwöhr in Bavaria, Germany, reported Stars and Stripes.

According to US officials cited by the Associated Press, at least six American soldiers – many of them from the 173rd Airborne Brigade – were injured earlier that day after drifting off course during a parachute drop.

“Airborne operations carry inherent risks,” Maj. Chris Bradley, spokesman for the 173rd Airborne Brigade, told the Associated Press. “This is precisely why we practice all phases of jumping regularly and ensure our paratroopers jump often to keep their skills sharp.”

Bradley went on to detail that all of the injured soldiers injured are expected to recover, and, as of Thursday, three of the six had been discharged from the local hospital. The remaining troops are being held for further evaluation and possible treatment.

A similar parachuting mishap occurred in October 2019 during a 10-day training exercise at Camp Shelby in Mississippi. Sputnik reported that at least 32 US Army paratroopers were injured and at least 18 of those soldiers – some with broken bones – were hospitalized from the incident.

Sourse: sputniknews.com