National Guardsman died from severe head injuries

The death of 32-year-old National Guard officer Xanthos Kyriacou from Limassol who fell on Tuesday from a 40-metre height during training was due to severe head injuries and multiple injuries to his body and vital organs, it was announced on Wednesday.

Kyriacou fell into a ravine after the rope he was tied to while descending broke. He was air transferred by helicopter from the Trooditissa military training facility, where the accident occurred, to the Nicosia general hospital where he was pronounced dead. The 32-year-old was married with no children.

Head of the Limassol CID, Lefteris Kyriakou, said according to the post-mortem findings, the cause of death was severe head injuries and multiple injuries to his body and vital organs sustained from falling from a significant height. State pathologists Angeliki Papetta and Orthodoxos Orthodoxou carried out the post-mortem.

Kyriakou said the evidence collected from the accident scene will be sent to specialised labs for the necessary tests.

On information that the rope was worn due to previous use, Kyriakou said it was too early to say anything. “We will wait for the results of the scientific tests,” he said.

Defence Minister Charalambos Petrides and National Guard chief Demokritos Zervakis visited the Trooditissa training facility on Wednesday, escorted by the military investigator.

Both the police and the National Guard are investigating the accident.