A second lieutenant of infantry – missing since last night following an incident that occurred during the Special Operations Course on the Balsemão River in Lamego – has been found dead, the Army reports.
In a statement, the Army said it has ordered “the opening of an investigation to ascertain all the circumstances of what happened, in coordination with the competent authorities, and the Military Police (PJM) has been informed.”
Hailing from Mafra, Infantry Lieutenant João Rafael Paulino dos Santos Cardoso was taking part in the Special Operations Course on the Balsemão River, in the Penude region, municipality of Lamego, district of Viseu.
“Support mechanisms for the soldier’s family have been activated, including psychological support,” the Army adds, noting that it “deeply regrets what happened.”
A source from the Douro Sub-regional Command has told Lusa that the alert over the disappearance was given at 11:39pm last night, and the search continued into the early hours of this morning, hampered by the “very strong” current of the river.
The same source said the body was found at 8:50 this morning and that 31 personnel and eleven vehicles from the fire department, municipal civil protection, and the GNR (National Republican Guard) are at the scene.
Both the Army and the President of the Republic have conveyed their sadness over this incident, with the former stressing that it will be giving further information “as soon as new facts have been confirmed”.
Source: LUSA/ Jornal de Notícias
