SAS recruits 'would have survived' if withdrawn earlier

Cpl James Dunsby, L/Cpl Edward Maher and L/Cpl Craig Roberts died in July 2013

There was "little doubt" three soldiers would have survived an SAS selection course if they had been withdrawn earlier, an inquest has heard.

L/Cpl Craig Roberts, 24, of Conwy county, and L/Cpl Edward Maher, died on a Brecon Beacons march on one of the hottest days of 2013.

Cpl James Dunsby also died after collapsing while on the same exercise.

Prof George Havenith said he was "quite certain" they could have survived with careful monitoring of their condition.

The physiologist said alarm bells should have been ringing earlier in the day when other soldiers had been withdrawn due to heat illness.

He told the inquest in Solihull, West Midlands, he was quite certain "on the balance of probabilities" that if the men had been withdrawn an hour before they collapsed, they would have survived.

The soldiers collapsed on a 16-mile march in the Brecon Beacons while carrying 50lbs (22kg) of equipment

The risk assessment was described as "very superficial" and did not take into account humidity, radiation from the sun or the water requirements if the weather changed.

There was also no mention of how to evacuate people quickly if they succumbed to the heat.

"My personal view is that if you do exercises like this where you know you're going to drive people to the limit, then it's imperative you have an understanding of the consequences… the lack of knowledge on this is an important gap... in training," he said.

The inquest continues.