Sergeant Wayne Taylor, who died during a training exercise in 2017. Photo / NZDF
Sergeant Wayne Taylor, who died during a training exercise in 2017. Photo / NZDF
A coroner has recommended defibrillators be included in all Defence Force medical kits after the death of a special operations squad member during a training exercise off Coromandel Peninsula.
A review of the types of life jackets NZDF personnel use has also been urged by the coroner.
Sergeant Wayne Taylor, 42, died on October 13, 2017 at Port Jackson.
His cause of death was confirmed earlier this year by Coroner Robin Kay as saltwater drowning, associated with injuries sustained in a fall from a height.
“On the morning of his death, Mr Taylor was one of several New Zealand Defence Force soldiers taking part in a marine exercise in the Hauraki Gulf,” he said.
“The exercise included boarding a container ship from a rigid hull inflatable boat whilst the container ship was underway.
“At approximately 6am, Mr Taylor was in the inflatable boat that was positioned alongside the moving container ship.
“Soldiers in the inflatable boat attached a portable ladder to a railing on the ship.
“While climbing the ladder, Mr Taylor fell. He struck the rear of the inflatable boat, before falling into the sea.”
Coroner Kay said Taylor’s colleagues located him quickly.
He was floating face down and unresponsive in the water.
“They pulled him into the boat, where CPR and other medical aid were administered by a NZDF medic who transferred aboard from the nearby safety boar,” the Coroner’s report said.
“The inflatable boat then headed to a beach at Port Jackson to meet the Westpac Rescue helicopter.
“Resuscitation attempts at this time did not include defibrillation, because there was no portable defibrillator on board the safety boat.”
Coroner Kay ruled that the maritime exercise was “carefully planned and briefed”.
“There was no evidence to suggest that there was a failure of equipment,’ he said.
“All personnel involved were also appropriately trained.
“Mr Taylor was repeatedly described by colleagues as a diligent, highly competent soldier, particularly in the maritime environment.
“Colleagues also described him as the maintainer of safety standards with the unit.”
The Police Northern Special Tactics Group inspected the ladder used during the exercise and found no fault.
Furthermore, Coroner Kay said the portable ladders, their hooks, and the carabiner connecting the two had been serviced yearly by a civilian company and had current certification.
“In addition, the ladder was not overloaded,” he found.
“It was noted that the rail bent and dropped approximately 30 centimetres as Mr Taylor climbed on to it. However, there was no evidence that Mr Taylor was thrown off balance when this occurred.
“In addition, the distance was unlikely to have been significant, occurring at a time when the inflatable boat and the container ship were both moving up and down in the sea swell.
“The soldiers who had climbed it before Mr Taylor described it twisting underneath them in a similar manner.
“The only difference was that when the ladder twisted as Mr Taylor climbed it, it trapped one of his feet.”
Recommendations have been made to the NZDF after the death of Sergeant Wayne Taylor while on a training exercise. Photo / Supplied
Coroner Kay found that the evidence suggested that Taylor fell from the ladder because he found himself “suddenly unable to hold on” rather than him letting go in a planned way.
“When Mr Taylor fell he struck his head, most likely on the rear of the inflatable boat,” he said.
“It was highly likely Mr Taylor was unconscious when he fell into the sea and was, therefore, unable to avoid drowning.”
Coroner Kay made several recommendations after investigating Taylor’s death.
“The NZDF medic on the safety boat comments that he had not taken a defibrillator with him on the exercise, as it was not normal to take one out ‘on the water’,” he said.
“I cannot say whether the outcome would have been different for Mr Taylor, had an AED been available, but such devices can be used in wet environments, and can greatly increase the likelihood of survival in a cardiac arrest situation.
“I recommend that the NZDF ensures that, where operational circumstances do not prevent it, an AED is part of the medical kits carried in maritime operations and exercises.”
He also said Taylor was wearing a life jacket that required him to manually inflate it, but he was unable to do so.
“I recognise that the safety of defence personnel who work in a maritime environment could be compromised by a life jacket inflating when merely splashed with water,” Kay said.
“However, there are life jackets available that are designed to inflate when fully immersed in water and subject to water pressure, rather than when merely splashed by water – I recommend that the NZDF reviews the type of life jacket used by its personnel, with a view to identifying a life jacket that would satisfy NZDF operational requirements, and could self-inflate to assist an unconscious wearer.”
Taylor is survived by his wife and four children.
He had served in East Timor and Afghanistan since joining the Defence Force in 1997.
Chief of the Army, Major General Peter Kelly, said the regiment would remember him as an outstanding soldier.
“He was a consummate professional, who was known for his dedication and reliability - always upholding our core values in every endeavour,” he said.
