Bomb disposal expert from the Isle of Man dies while volunteering in Ukraine
A bomb disposal expert from the Isle of Man has died, following severe injuries while dismantling an improvised explosive device.
Chris Garrett, from Peel, had dedicated years to clearing landmines in Ukraine, and stepped following the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Mr Garrett co-founded the charity Prevail Together, which has been disarming and detonating explosive devices placed around Ukraine.
Garrett, known by the call sign 'Swampy,' had been involved in mine clearance and humanitarian efforts in Ukraine since 2014. He joined the Azov Regiment as an EOD specialist, providing training and support to Ukrainian forces.
Prevail Together Ambassador and board member Shaun Pinner confirmed Mr Garrett had died in the city of Izyum on Tuesday 6 May.
Posting on X, Mr Pinner said: 'It has now been confirmed that two of the three critically injured individuals have sadly passed away. I can confirm that Chris was among those who died. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families affected.
'We deeply appreciate all the support during this difficult time. Prevail will share further updates as soon as we coordinate with the investigation teams over the next 48hours. We can't and will not comment during an ongoing investigation.'
Another man, thought to be an Australian national, also died as a result of the incident.
Mr Garrett spoke to ITV at the beginning of April, after he was sentenced to 14 ½ years in jail by a Russian proxy court.
Speaking then, he said: "I don't really know what to say about it, the charges are ridiculous. I mean, charged for terrorism by volunteering, or at times, being under contract by the Ukrainian armed forces.
"I've not once stepped foot out of Ukraine towards, Belarus. I've never been to Russia, I've never been involved in any actions directly on the border."
The 42-year-old had been using his skills as a bomb disposal expert to blow up artillery shells and live ammunition dumped by Vladimir Putin's retreating troops.
He said: "There's a lot of IEDs going in the ground. And now with the drone munitions as well, the FPB drones, this has created a whole new sphere where it used to just be a case that we had landmines and IEDs.
"Now we have flying IEDs as well, which can end up in places you'd never expect them."
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