Remains of US Soldier Recovered Off Morocco Coast After Cliff Fall During Military Exercise

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.

Key's remains have been taken to a hospital morgue in Guelmim, with plans underway to repatriate them to the United States. Officials described the unit as grieving and said support would continue for his family, friends and teammates. >"Our hearts are with his Family, friends, teammates, and all who knew and served alongside him.

The 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command Family is grieving, and we will continue to support one another and 1st Lt. " — Brig. Gen. Curtis King, May 2026 (U.S. The remains, previously known only as “Camarillo Teen 1993,” were discovered on August 30, 1993, near Beardsley Road and Wright Road in Ventura County.

Forensic evidence submitted to a private laboratory in March 2025 produced DNA matches linking the remains to Joseph Patrick Reardon, born June 17, 1970, in Fresno. At the time of his death he was between 13 and 18 years old. Records show his mother was 16 and his father 19 when he was born; the couple had married two months before his birth and divorced a year later.

Reardon had lived in a group home in Oxnard around 1985, attended Channel Islands High School that year, and later transferred to a different high school near Modesto. He sometimes used the name Joe Gilbreth. Officials said many details about his life, whereabouts and the circumstances of his death remain unknown, including how long his body had been at the dump site.

The sheriff’s office asked the public for any information about Reardon. “Despite this milestone, critical details surrounding Mr. Reardon's life and whereabouts remain unknown. The Cold Case Unit is actively seeking the public's help,” officials said in a statement.

” Search operations for the second missing soldier in Morocco continue.