Soldier who lived off fast food and energy drinks died of cardiac arrest during fitness test

A SOLDIER who lived off fast food and drank up to six energy drinks a day died of a cardiac arrest during a fitness test.

Private Joshua Kennington, 18, had marched 3km with 11kg in his rucksack when he collapsed.

He was serving with the Royal Logistics Corps at Catterick, North Yorks, when he died in 2022.

The Army said the march was “not arduous”.

Comrades performed CPR and used thrice used a defibrillator in an attempt to restart his heart.

The Service Inquiry concluded: “Pte Kennington suffered a cardiac arrest and died of hypoxic brain injury due to a lack of oxygen.

“The mechanism by which he went into cardiac arrest was sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS).”

The inquiry rejected claims his death was due to exercise and found his diet of five junk food meals a week and six daily energy drinks played no part.

The report said: “Approximately six weeks prior to his accident Pte Kennington had made substantially positive steps to improve his lifestyle, including regular attendance at the gym, a reduction in the amount of fast-food he ate and a reduction, by at least 50 per cent, in his daily intake of energy drinks.”

His family said at the time of his death: “Tragically taken from us far too soon, much loved by family and friends, Josh was kind and compassionate always having time for others and putting them first constantly striving to push himself to be better.

“He died doing what he loved.

“Not a goodbye from us, wherever you will be you will always be in our hearts.”

His Squadron Commander Maj Tony Morgan paid tribute to a “good-humoured and likeable” soldier.