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Remains of US Soldier Recovered Off Morocco Coast After Cliff Fall During Military Exercise
The body of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. was found in the Atlantic Ocean near where he and another soldier went missing on May 2 during African Lion 2026. Moroccan searchers located the remains within a mile of the Cap Draa Training Area. Search operations continue for the second missing soldier.
May 10, 4:44 PM·3m read8 sources
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Washington ExaminerAudio version
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The remains of one of two U.S. soldiers who went missing during a multinational military exercise in Morocco were recovered on May 9, the U.S. Army said Sunday. Moroccan searchers found the body of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. in the Atlantic Ocean within roughly one mile of where both soldiers reportedly entered the water after falling from a cliff the previous week.
m. local time near the Cap Draa Training Area outside Tan-Tan. Key, 27, of Richmond, Virginia, was participating in African Lion 2026, the largest annual U.S.-led joint military exercise in Africa. A search-and-rescue operation involving more than 1,000 U.S. and Moroccan military and civil personnel, along with frigates, vessels, helicopters and drones, had been underway since the soldiers were reported missing on May 2.
Initial findings indicate the incident was an accident. One soldier, known to be unable to swim, fell into the water. Fellow service members attempted to form a human chain using their belts to rescue him. The second soldier then jumped in to assist but was struck by a wave before reaching his comrade.
Key served as a platoon leader in Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, part of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. He entered military service in 2023, earned his commission in 2024 after completing Officer Candidate School, and later finished the Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
His decorations included the Army Achievement Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
2026 involved more than 7,000 personnel from over 30 nations and took place across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal. The largest segment occurred in Morocco with approximately 5,000 participants from more than 40 countries. The exercise has been held annually since 2004.
The two soldiers had been off duty on a recreational hike when they fell near the sea cliffs by the training area. The terrain there consists of mountains, desert and semidesert plains. A U.S. contingent remained in Morocco after the war games concluded to support ongoing command, control and search operations.
