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U.S. Army Recovers Remains of Second Soldier Missing in Morocco
The Army identified the remains of Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, recovered Tuesday from a coastal cave in southern Morocco. Collington and 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. went missing May 2 after entering the ocean near a training area during a joint exercise. The recovery concludes an 11-day search involving more than 1,000 U.S. and Moroccan personnel.
May 14, 10:05 AM·2m read4 sources
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The U.S. Army announced Thursday that it recovered the remains of the second soldier who went missing in southern Morocco on May 2. The service member was identified as Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, of Tavares, Florida. Officials said her remains were located Tuesday inside a coastal cave roughly 1,600 feet from the site where both soldiers entered the water.
Collington served as an air and missile defense crewmember assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment. She and 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, disappeared during the African Lion 26 exercise near the Cap Draa Training Area.
One soldier fell into the ocean after training concluded that day, and the other jumped in to assist before initial rescue efforts failed. Key's remains were recovered on May 9 in the water about one mile from the entry point. The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces transported his body by helicopter to a military hospital in Guelmim.
Plans are underway to repatriate his remains to the United States. More than 1,000 U.S. and Moroccan military and civilian personnel took part in the search that lasted 11 days. Challenging ocean conditions, coastal terrain and limited cave accessibility slowed operations throughout the effort.
Collington was found in a cave that search teams had repeatedly examined.
Collington was an outstanding soldier whose unwavering enthusiasm and positive spirit uplifted every environment she entered," a unit commander said in the Army release. The statement highlighted her ability to foster connection and camaraderie through warmth and humor.
Her presence will be greatly missed, the commander added. Collington's unit is part of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. The soldiers had been participating in African Lion 26, U.S. Africa Command's largest annual joint exercise. This year's iteration involved more than 40 countries and took place across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia.
