Navy sailor dies in Cambodia

Friday November 11, 2011
Source: Skynews

A Royal Australian Navy sailor has died during a port visit to Cambodia.

The member of HMAS Warramunga's ships company, who has not been named, died while on shore leave in Sihanoukville, the Defence department said.

'The ship had just finished a major exercise in the South East Asian area with Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand and the UK,' defence force chief General David Hurley told Macquarie Radio on Friday.

'She was doing port visits after the exercise, we don't know any more... the exact cause of death is unknown.'

General Hurley said the sailor's family had been informed and an investigation was under way into the death.

'We've flown an Australian Defence Force investigator up there to Cambodia to start an investigation and I'm afraid we will just have to wait for the outcome of that to know what has happened,' he said.

The investigator is expected to arrive on Friday.

The long-range frigate is based in Perth and has the motto 'Courage in Difficulties'.

Commander Michael Turner took charge of the vessel in December 2010.

The death comes only weeks after the shooting death of Perth-based Able Seaman Ewan McDonald aboard the HMAS Toowoomba while docked in Mumbai on October 23.