Cadet's death caused by 'failures'
A teenage army cadet died on a boating exercise due to "numerous failures by those responsible for her care", a report has found.
Wide ranging mistakes were made during the exercise which led to the death of Kaylee McIntosh, according to Sheriff Alasdair MacFadyen.
Kaylee, 14, died after she was pinned under a boat in Loch Carnan, South Uist, in the Outer Hebrides.
She was one of 34 cadets taking part in the three-boat exercise on August 3 2007.
In his findings following a fatal accident inquiry into her death, Sheriff MacFadyen said there was an "utter disregard for basic precautions" necessary to prevent the accident.
A rescue effort was launched after the boat carrying the schoolgirl, of Fyvie in Aberdeenshire, capsized in choppy waters. But an error in the head count by organisers meant she was trapped under the boat for 90 minutes before it was noticed she was missing.
An investigation by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has already identified a number of failings, including the fact that Kaylee was given a life jacket not approved for children, which kept her pinned under the boat.
In his findings, Sheriff MacFadyen listed a number of steps which could have prevented the tragedy.
They included the appointment of a qualified instructor, the use of a safety boat, a head count taken before the exercise and afterwards, and the provision of suitable life jackets.
He identified a number of failings by the exercise organiser, Major George McCallum, but also of his superiors for not ensuring regulations were adhered to.
