The U.S. military has confirmed the recovery of the second American soldier who went missing earlier this month during a training deployment in Morocco. The tragic incident happened near Morocco’s southern coastline while thousands of troops were participating in a major multinational military exercise.
Officials say the recovery operation involved an enormous joint effort between American and Moroccan military forces, with search teams working through dangerous ocean conditions and difficult terrain for several days.
Second Missing U.S. Soldier Found in Morocco
According to a joint statement from United States Africa Command and U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, the body of Specialist Mariyah Collington was recovered on Tuesday.
Mariyah Collington, 19, had been missing since May 2 after entering the water near the Cap Draa Training Area along Morocco’s southern coast.
The Army confirmed that her body was discovered inside a coastal cave located approximately 500 metres from where the two soldiers reportedly entered the ocean.
Officials said difficult weather conditions, dangerous coastal terrain, and the cave’s location made recovery efforts extremely challenging.
Collington’s remains were transported by helicopter with assistance from the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces before being taken to a military hospital in Guelmim, Morocco.
Another Soldier’s Body Was Found Earlier
The second missing soldier, Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., was recovered on May 9.
Key, 27, and Collington had both disappeared during the incident earlier this month.
According to preliminary reports, the soldiers were not participating in official training exercises when the tragedy occurred.
Defense officials stated the two service members were part of a group hiking near the coastline to watch the sunset.
Investigators believe one soldier who could not swim fell into the water first, and another soldier jumped in to attempt a rescue before being struck by a wave.
Other soldiers reportedly attempted to save them but were unsuccessful.
Massive Search Operation Involved More Than 1,000 Personnel
Military officials described the recovery mission as a major joint operation involving over 1,000 American and Moroccan military and civilian personnel.
Search teams reportedly covered more than 8,200 square miles using helicopters, drones, boats, fixed-wing aircraft, dive teams, mountaineering crews, and ground units.
Officials praised the cooperation between the United States and Morocco throughout the operation.
The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces reportedly provided air, ground, and maritime support from the beginning of the search until the final recovery effort.
Military leaders said the operation demonstrated the strength of the partnership between the two countries.
African Lion Training Exercise Underway
Both soldiers were deployed to Morocco as part of African Lion, a large multinational military training exercise involving troops from several countries.
Military officials clarified that the disappearances did not occur during official exercise activities.
African Lion is one of the largest military exercises held in Africa and focuses on improving coordination and partnerships between allied forces.
Officials said the joint search and recovery mission reflected the purpose behind the exercise’s international cooperation efforts.
Army Leaders Remember Mariyah Collington
Collington served as an air and missile defense crew member with Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.
Originally from Tavares, Florida, she entered the Army’s Delayed Entry Program in 2023 before beginning active-duty service in 2024.
Military leaders described her as an energetic and positive soldier who had a strong impact on her fellow service members.
Curtis King said her loss was deeply painful for the military community and praised both U.S. and Moroccan forces for their professionalism during the search operation.
Captain Spencer Grider also described Collington as someone whose warmth, humour, and enthusiasm brought people together both on and off duty.
