U.S. Soldier Recovered After Falling From Cliff in Morocco During Joint Exercise

The remains of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. m. local time on May 9, 2026, within roughly one mile of where both soldiers entered the ocean.

U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a statement detailing the recovery and the ongoing search. U.S. soldier fell off a cliff during a recreational hike near the Cap Draa Training Area on May 2.

M. that day near the training area outside Tan-Tan, Morocco. The incident occurred hours after both soldiers participated in the African Lion military exercises.

The terrain near the Cap Draa Training Area is characterized by mountains, desert and semidesert plains. U.S. defense official told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the official was not allowed to speak publicly.

A search-and-rescue operation involving more than 600 personnel from the United States, Morocco and other partners was launched after the soldiers went missing. The operation deployed frigates, vessels, helicopters and drones. As of May 10, the search was in its ninth day and teams have covered more than 12,000 square kilometers of sea and shore.

The search operation is currently adding more than 1,000 square miles per day, or around 3,000 square kilometers per day. U.S. contingent remained in Morocco after the multinational war games ended on May 8 or 9 to provide command and control and continue search and rescue operations.

U.S. , with minors in international business, entrepreneurship and business administration.

He entered military service in 2023 as an officer candidate and earned his commission through Officer Candidate School in 2024 as an Air Defense Artillery officer. He completed the Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. -led exercise launched in April 2026 across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal.

More than 7,000 military personnel from over 30 nations participated. U.S. joint military exercise in Africa since its inception in 2004. U.S. Marines were killed and two others injured after their helicopter went down during the African Lion exercises in Agadir, Morocco.

The second soldier who fell with Key has not been publicly identified.