Swiss grenadier recruits take part in an urban warfare exercise in Isone, canton Ticino, in 2013.
Keystone / Christian Beutler
Four recruits for the elite Swiss grenadier unit were hospitalised last week after taking part in a gruelling selection exercise in hot weather. Three remain in hospital with one placed temporarily in an artificial coma. The army says it will shift such exercises to cooler times of the day in future.
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The incident occurred last Wednesday during an exercise at the Isone recruit training school in canton Ticino in southern Switzerland. Candidates for the Grenadier School had to run to several positions and carry out tasks independently, army spokesperson Stefan Hofer told Swiss public television, SRF.
“A total of 129 recruits participated in the run; four showed signs of heatstroke or dehydration and were taken to hospital,” he confirmed, adding that the selection exercise was carried out “according to regulations”.
One of the four recruits was placed temporarily in an artificial coma following the exercise due to his condition.
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Hofer said: “We are in close contact with the recruits and their families. Three are currently still in hospital, and one has already been discharged.” There are positive signs that the three recruits will leave hospital in the next few days, the army spokesperson said.
“The army is taking this incident very seriously, and we will investigate it internally. The issue of heat is nothing new; we have corresponding rules, which were also applied here.”
He added that the recruit training school in Isone will increasingly carry out such exercises early in the morning or in the evening in future.
The recruits were undergoing a special selection exercise to become grenadier guards. The training is known as being among the toughest in the Swiss army. According to Hofer, the exercise was conducted according to regulations, and food and drinks were available at certain stations. Further details are unknown.
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