Marine was hurled 80ft as blast hit vehicle

A talented Royal Marine was killed when a massive explosion ripped through his vehicle, throwing him 80ft through the air, an inquest heard yesterday.

Marine Jason Mackie, 21, was in the front vehicle in a convoy

travelling along a dusty track in the Basharan area of central Helmand when it detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) in a Taliban ambush.

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The two sections of the Viking armoured vehicle were blown apart, with the front part, in which Marine Mackie had been travelling, completely devastated by the blast on May 14 last year.

When he was discovered by his company sergeant major lying within a section of the Viking's roof, it was too late to save his life.

The sergeant major, now Warrant Officer Class 2 Matthew Tomlinson, has since been awarded the Military Cross for his actions on that day.

He was travelling behind Marine Mackie's vehicle and came under fire from enemy troops as he recovered his body and also helped the driver to safety. The driver, Marine Tristan Sykes, was seriously injured and is still recovering.

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WO2 Tomlinson told the inquest in Oxford: "You don't really see the Viking explode; you just see the debris appear from the cloud.

"The force of the blast was immense on this occasion. It's the biggest I have ever witnessed in theatre." The blast caused a crater about 10ft wide and 3ft deep.

The Armoured Support Group convoy was returning to their base at Lashkar Gah from an operation assisting the Afghan National Police when the explosion happened.

WO2 Tomlinson ran to the Viking as soon as he heard the explosion and saw the three men who had been in the rear section emerge in shock.

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The front cab had been turned by 180 degrees, and describing the devastation, WO2 Tomlinson added: "It was completely destroyed. It was on fire. All the doors had been blown off. Pretty much most of the roof was missing."

He said that when he found Marine Mackie, of Bampton, Oxfordshire,after first assisting Marine Sykes, "he had clearly passed away".

The coroner recorded a narrative verdict.

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