A Royal Marine recruit is in critical condition after he was pulled from the water during a beach training exercise.
Fellow recruits were practicing a beach assault in Tregantle, Cornwall, when the accident took place on Tuesday, the BBC reported.
His platoon were bailing out of an assault boat when they found the recruit lying face down in the water.
Authorities said that the man who has not been named, was given CPR on the beach by his comrades.
He was airlifted to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth where he remains in a critical condition.
A source told the Sun: “We were doing a tactical beach landing at Tregantle, and ‘Out Troops’ was called.
“The recruits got off and then went up to their eyeballs in water. It was below freezing and they were all over the place so the crew recovered them.”
The beach, situated near Plymouth, is regularly used by the Marines for exercises.
The beach storm drill is one of the final exercises in the Royal Marines' training and takes place a month before the course’s end, according to a source.
An investigation has been launched into the incident, the Royal Navy confirmed.
A spokesperson said: “We are aware of an incident involving a member of the Royal Marines in Plymouth. The next of kin have been informed and we ask for privacy for the family.
"The incident is currently under investigation, therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
