Grenade injures eight Marines
By Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writer
Seven of eight Marines who were injured late Friday in a grenade explosion were flown to Tripler Army Medical Center yesterday from the Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island.
In a separate accident, a Peruvian sailor was killed Friday evening during RIMPAC 2002 exercises near the coast of Kaua'i.
A spokesman for the Marine Corps Base Hawai'i, 1st Lt. Kent Robbins, said none of the Marines was seriously injured in the Pohakuloa grenade explosion.
"This is a precautionary measure," said Robbins of the decision to send the Marines to Tripler. "There are concerns with hygiene — when you've got shrapnel wounds, you want to make sure. They're all all right. They just had some minor shrapnel injuries."
According to Robbins, the explosion occurred during a training exercise after a thrown grenade deflected off a berm and landed back in the trench where the Marines were huddled. Robbins said the grenade landed far enough away from the Marines that none was seriously injured.
The men were treated at the scene by Navy corpsmen. Three were taken by helicopter to the Hilo Hospital, where they were treated. The others were taken by helicopter to the medical aid station within the training area.
Yesterday, one Marine, who was the least injured, returned to training.
"The training that the Marines do is inherently dangerous," Robbins said. "The Marines involved were following all safety precautions. This is the type of training they do on a daily basis."
The Marines were involved in a training exercise in support of RIMPAC.
The Peruvian sailor was killed when he was struck by a gun-loading mechanism during an exercise to sink a decommissioned ship, according to the U.S. 3rd Fleet's public affairs office.
The gun mount had misfired aboard the Peruvian frigate BAP Montero. The sailor was struck and killed while he was clearing the gun mount after the misfire.
The name of the sailor is being withheld until his family can be notified.
Participants in the exercises for military readiness around the Pacific rim are the United States, Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, France, South Korea, the United Kingdom and Peru.
