Swiss army recruits remain in hospital after gruelling test exercise

Four recruits for the elite Swiss grenadier unit were hospitalised last week after taking part in a gruelling selection exercise in hot weather. Three remain in hospital with one placed temporarily in an artificial coma. The army says it will shift such exercises to cooler times of the day in future. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The incident occurred last Wednesday during an exercise at the Isone recruit training school in canton Ticino in southern Switzerland. Candidates for the Grenadier School had to run to several positions and carry out tasks independently, army spokesperson Stefan Hofer told Swiss public television, SRF. “A total of 129 recruits participated in the run; four showed signs of heatstroke or dehydration and were taken to hospital,” he confirmed, adding that the selection exercise was carried out “according to regulations”. One of the four recruits was placed temporarily in an artificial coma following the exercise due to his condition.