Manx bomb disposal specialist killed in Ukraine

A Manx bomb disposal specialist who had been helping to train troops fighting in Ukraine has died.

Chris Garrett was severely injured in an incident near Izyum in the east of Ukraine on Tuesday.

Shaun Pinner, a board member of the Prevail Together charity, which was co-founded by Mr Garrett, confirmed three of its workers had been critically injured and two had since died, with Mr Garrett among them.

The 40-year-old, from the town of Peel on the Isle of Man, had been volunteering with the Ukraine National Guard, having previously helped in the country between 2014 and 2017. He returned when war broke out in February 2022.

A statement from the charity said: "Prevail received the devastating news that our co-founder and chairman alongside other team members were severely injured in an incident near Izyum.

"We are still gathering information and working alongside military and police officials to uncover the details."

In a later statement, Mr Pinner confirmed Mr Garrett had died, adding: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families affected. We deeply appreciate all the support during this difficult time."

From 2014, Mr Garrett had spent three years helping to clear mines and unexploded ordnance in Crimea.

Since the Ukraine war broke out in 2022, he had been working to raise awareness about such explosives there and teaching troops how to mitigate the risks should they find them.

Speaking to the BBC in 2022, Mr Garrett said: "I've been here before, I've had the shelling, I've had the shooting. I've had some pretty close calls in the country."

He had said that while he himself had cleared mines in the country, he could be put to better use by training other people.

"I could go on to the contact line now and clear land mines, but I'm just one person," he said.

He said he was able to help many more people by "taking groups of 10, 20, 30, 50 guys at a time and teaching them basic awareness".

In a statement, the Foreign Office said: "We are in contact with the local authorities following the death of a British national in Ukraine."

Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.