Former RAF soldier sues ministry after breaking back in Cyprus jump

A British soldier who was stationed at RAF Akrotiri in 2021 is suing the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) for up to £500,000 after he claims he was “encouraged” to jump off a 50ft cliff, which left him with a broken spine and permanently disabled. The MoD in court filings say the soldier, Ciaran Macmillan, 29, was not on duty at the time “and had voluntarily accepted the inherent risks of making the leap”, according to the Independent. Part of Macmillan’s spine was crushed when he hit the water during an off-duty outing with four army friends. He says he should never have been allowed to make the jump but had been “encouraged” by a superior, a senior NCO, at the time in May 2021. Also, his claim points out that he was on “sovereign British military land” and that jumping from the particular a spot should have been prohibited. The claim has been filed at the UK’s High Court. Related Articles • Christodoulides: Cyprus seeks to end ‘colonial legacy’ of British bases • Environmentalists demand Akrotiri antenna assessment and debate • Cyprus ‘to be launchpad’ for UK assistance for Saudi Arabia’s war with Houthis • UK to buy new air raid sirens for Akrotiri • Akrotiri villagers protest planned new British listening antennae • UK announces arrest of espionage suspect arrested in Cyprus last year According to the court documents, his barrister, Craig Carr, said that a corporal, who had introduced Macmillan to the site, “was behind him on the ledge and encouraged him to jump from it into the water”. “Upon jumping into the water, the claimant immediately lost sensation in his legs. He swam to rocks at the base of the cliffs and was assisted out of the water.” He underwent surgery for a fracture to his lower back, plus the insertion of screws and rods but has been left with “significant sensory disturbance” in his lower limbs leaving him in a desk-bound job, the barrister said. Macmillan, who joined the RAF in 2016, is suing for negligence. He said his superiors “permitted, allowed and encouraged its members of staff to use the cliff area to jump 50 feet into the water”. Also, the court papers say, those in command at the base had failed to undertake risk assessments even though Carr said the cliff was accessed regularly by service personnel. The MoD defence barrister Daniel Laking, according to the Independent, argues that Macmillan took the risk of his own volition. “He was free to choose whether to jump or not,” he said, adding that Macmillan was off-duty meaning the MoD had “no duty of care” at the time. The site was also “not part of the workplace” meaning there was no compunction on the MoD to make it safe.