The remains of the second U.S. Army soldier who was reported missing in Southern Morocco last week have been recovered, the Army said in a statement Wednesday.
The Army identified the remains of Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, of Tavares, Florida. Collington served as an air and missile defense crewmember and was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, according to an Army release.
The recovery ends an 11-day search effort for Collington and 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., of Richmond, Virginia, after the soldiers entered the ocean on May 2 near the Cap Draa Training Area during a joint military exercise.
According to reports, one of the soldiers fell into the water during a hike along the oceanside cliffs after training that day had concluded. The other soldier purportedly jumped in to help, and initial rescue efforts for both failed.
On May 9, Key Jr. was recovered in the water approximately one mile from where both soldiers reportedly entered the ocean. The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces moved his remains by helicopter to Moulay El Hassan Military Hospital in Guelmim, Morocco, and the Army said plans are in motion to repatriate his body.
Since May 2, more than 1,000 U.S. and Moroccan military and civil personnel participated in the search for the two soldiers, with Collington located and retrieved from a coastal cave roughly 1,600 feet from where the pair reportedly entered the ocean. According to the release, “challenging ocean conditions, coastal terrain and the cave’s accessibility complicated search and recovery operations throughout the effort.”
“Spc. Collington was an outstanding soldier whose unwavering enthusiasm and positive spirit uplifted every environment she entered,” Capt. Spencer Grider, commander of Charlie Battery, 5-4 ADAR, said in the release. “Her infectious energy, whether in the office, in the field or among her peers, fostered connection and camaraderie, bringing people together through her genuine warmth and heartfelt sense of humor. Her presence will be greatly missed across our formation.”
The soldiers were involved in African Lion 26, U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, which involved over 40 countries and this year spanned across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia.
The incident remains under investigation.
Claire Barrett is an editor and military history correspondent for Military Times. She is also a World War II researcher with an unparalleled affinity for Sir Winston Churchill and Michigan football.
Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.
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