Tragedy Strikes Australian Army: Soldier Killed in Rollover Accident During Routine Training in North Queensland
- A young soldier has lost his life in a devastating vehicle rollover during a training exercise in Townsville, leaving two others injured.
- The tragedy occurred at the Australian Army’s Townsville Field Training Area, with the soldier dying at the scene despite swift emergency response efforts.
- The incident has sent shockwaves through the military community, with the soldier’s commander hailing him as a “leader among his peers” who served his country with pride and passion.
Australian Army soldier has died in a tragic vehicle rollover accident during a routine training exercise in north Queensland, casting a pall of grief over the military community. The incident occurred at the Townsville Field Training Area on Wednesday evening, with two other soldiers injured in the accident.
Paramedics and a rescue helicopter rushed to the scene, but despite their best efforts, the soldier succumbed to his injuries. The two injured soldiers, aged in their 20s and 30s, have since been discharged from Townsville University Hospital.
Brigadier Ben McLennan, Commander of the 3rd Brigade, paid tribute to the fallen soldier, describing him as a “leader among his peers” who served his country with passion and pride. “On behalf of Defence, on behalf of the Australian Army, I would like to express my sincere condolences to the soldier’s family, his loved ones, and his mates,” he said.
The soldier, who had served for seven and a half years, was a respected figure in the 3rd Battalion, known for mentoring young soldiers and serving with distinction during the COVID-19 crisis, in partnership with Papua New Guinea, and in training the Ukrainian armed forces.
The incident is currently under investigation, with authorities working to determine the cause of the rollover. The M113 armoured personnel carrier involved in the accident is a reliable vehicle commonly used by the 3rd Brigade, according to Brigadier McLennan.
Federal Member for Herbert and army veteran Phillip Thompson said the soldiers of the 3rd Battalion were rallying around each other in the aftermath of the tragedy. “They wanted to highlight the great work of the emergency services on the ground who arrived very quickly,” he said.
This is not the first time a military vehicle rollover has resulted in tragedy in the region. In 2023, three Australian soldiers and three US Marines were injured in a similar accident near Paluma, north of Townsville. In 2021, two soldiers lost their lives in a single-vehicle rollover on Dotswood Road south of the Townsville Field Training Area.