Youngson Nkhoma, 30, from Malawi, died during a fitness test at a British Army assessment centre in Staffordshire (Picture: Champion News)
A man trying out for the British Army collapsed during a fitness test and later died.
Youngson Nkhoma, 30, was 200m from the finish line of a timed two-kilometre run at an assessment centre in Lichfield, Staffordshire, when he suddenly fell to the ground.
The dad-of-one, who was from Malawi, died after being rushed to a nearby hospital.
A spokesperson for his family said their ‘whole world changed’ from the moment they received the news.
They added their ‘grief has been overwhelming’ and that ‘we wouldn’t wish this pain on anyone’.
An inquest later found Mr Nkhoma and another recruit, Kamil Iddrisu, 25, who died under similar circumstances, both carried sickle cell trait.
An inherited predisposition toward a particular group of blood disorders, the condition can cause catastrophic organ failure triggered by strenuous exercise.
The Ministry of Defence has reportedly started routinely testing for sickle cell trait after Mr Nkhoma and another recruit with the condition died under similar circumstances (Picture: Champion News)
Mr Nkhoma’s family are now understood to be suing both the Ministry of Defence and public recruitment partners Capita Business Services Ltd for more than £200,000 in compensation.
The family said in a statement after the inquest: ‘Youngson had been chatting about the Army for a long time and was excited about being invited to the selection process.
‘When he collapsed just short of the finish line, it was a huge shock, but not for one minute did we expect to get told he had passed away.
‘Losing Youngson at such a young age was nothing short of traumatic and something we’ll never get over.’
Stephen Clark, a military lawyer with Irwin Mitchell, the firm representing Mr Nkhoma’s widow Latia in her claim, added: ‘Kamil and Youngson’s families remain devastated by their deaths which they’re still struggling to come to terms with.
‘The inquest has undoubtedly been tough for the families, having to relive everything again.
‘While we cannot change what happened, we hope that they have been able to get the answers they deserve.
‘We also hope that Ministry of Defence continues to strive to prevent anything like this from happening again.’
Any responses by the Ministry of Defence and Capita have not yet been made publicly available by the court.
The MoD has reportedly since started routinely screening new recruits for sickle cell trait prior to commencing fitness tests.
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Youngson Nkhoma, 30, fell to the ground 200m from the finishing line of a timed two-kilometre run.